A Hero's Last Cry
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: When a new world tournament approaches, trouble is never far behind. Once again Tyson's title is under threat and Kai plays an important role in Tyson's foreseen downfall. Can destiny be changed?
1. Prologue

When a new world tournament approaches, trouble is never far behind. Once again Tyson's title is under threat and Kai plays an important role in Tyson's foreseen downfall. Can destiny be changed?

 **.**

 **Prologue**

Alexander kicked at the ground with the tip of his right foot, sending a small pebble flying through the air. The past month had all been about the G-Revolutions team and their infamous victory last month at the world tournament. All week long he had seen Tyson's smug face all over the media – newspapers, brochures, posters, advertisement and the news. His name was even reported on the radio every couple of hours.

Switching off the television and refusing to read the paper didn't help either. No matter how hard he tried to get away, something or someone would raise the G-Revolutions name and the familiar emotion of anger rising up to this chest would occur again. To make matters worse, Tyson had announced that he would be returning to the beystadium to defend his title for a fourth time.

His friends weren't as enthusiastic about the idea at least. They had enough sense to know when to quit. Rei, Max, Daichi and Kai had all publicly come forward with separate announcements of their retirement from the professional side of the sport. Tyson had defeated them at their best, and the boys knew there was no longer any point in trying anymore.

But Tyson, being Tyson, had yet to grasp this.

He kicked at another pebble on the ground. What made Tyson so powerful? How did a rookie blader like him become so strong? It was something Alexander couldn't understand. He had spent his childhood days training in a high-tech facility to become the best blader on earth yet here he was on the streets without a place to call home.

It was all thanks to Tyson and his friends that he was now homeless. Losing to Tyson in an exhibition match in Moscow four years ago had resulted in him being thrown out of his home. He expected to be locked behind bars for a couple of weeks until he showed signs of improvement, but instead his blade had been crushed, and he had been locked outside the gates to perish in the cold.

Everyone forgot about him. No one even bothered to come looking for him. It was just assumed that he had met an unfortunate end in the wilderness. How could he? His own father! Now his anger was directed towards Boris, his stepfather. The man had picked him up in an orphanage promising to make him into a true warrior, but his words were just lies.

Boris. Kai. Voltaire. Tyson. Everyone. They were all liars and deserved to be punished. He wanted nothing more than to expose them to the world for the hypocrites they truly were. He wanted to watch them suffer like he had been forced to. Perhaps if they shared his pain then they would accept him.

He headed towards the main street where an exhibition match was due to be held. The event was being hosted by Hilary, the new promoter of the BBA. It was supposed to an education lesson for upcoming bladers to help them better prepare themselves for the challenging tournament. Rei and Max were the main stars of the event, and were said to be signing autographs and taking photos with fans afterwards. Anything for a few extra dollars and win favour from the audience. As if they weren't earning enough already.

As he approached the park, he heard the cries of the fans calling for their idols to come out and play. He wished he could drown out the screams somehow, but the voices only became louder still. Mr. Dickenson, the chairman of the BBA, was also said to be making an appearance today. It was rumoured the man would be speaking of the changes to this year's tournament and also announcing the locations.

It didn't take him long to reach the event ground. As expected, there were hundreds of people already present. He wouldn't be surprised if these people had slept here overnight to get the best possible view of their heroes. Turning his head around, he scanned the environment, searching for a suitable location. His eyes rested on a nearby tree. Surprisingly, no one had even considered climbing it. He supposed they were all far too excited to think straight.

No one even tried to stop him. It was like he wasn't even there. Fortunately, the tree was to climb up. He hoisted himself then clambered over to a thick branch, and waited for the festivities to begin. There was a stage at the front, and a pedestal in the middle. Before the stage was a plain beydish. Rows of security guards stood on either side, as cameraman hurried towards the stage to get the best possible angle.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe we get to see Rei and Max up close and personal!" a girl with long blonde hair squealed.

Her friend, a redhead, replied with her own enthusiastic comment. "Rei is so hot!"

"Max is adorable!" said the third girl, a female with short black hair.

"Kai is totally the best-looking. It's a shame he can't make it today, but I hear they're planning another BBA event soon for all the team members," the blonde girl said. "He's so hot. I feel so weak at the knees when he smiles."

Alexander rolled his eyes. These girls probably didn't even know anything about the sport other than its name. They were just here to look at the boys and that was it. He hated people who claimed to be fans of something, but only for shallow reasons. It only proved Mr. Dickinson was losing his touch. It was becoming more about the money than the passion of the sport. Still, it would be interesting to hear what Mr. Dickinson had to say.

"Oooh, here comes Mr. Dickinson now!" the blond said, pointing to the stage.

Alexander turned back to the stage. Mr. Dickinson walked out slowly using his walking stick to support him. The man looked greyer than what he remembered – perhaps the stress of the past few years was finally catching up with him. The crowd fell silent as the man walked to the pedestal. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the first BBA public event of 2015!"

The crowd erupted in applause. Mr. Dickinson waited for a couple of moments for the crowd to die down before continuing further.

"As you all know, preparations for the fourth world tournament are well underway. I've staged this event to inform you of the changes that will be taking place this year. We recently held a feedback survey on our website asking for your opinion on last year's tournament. Those of you who replied commented that you enjoyed the designs of the dishes and the intensity of the matches, but felt the tag-team format didn't work."

"He's right about that," the redhead girl said. "I mean, it was great watching the best bladers have a go, but there are some cute guys who missed out on all the fun."

Mr. Dickinson cleared his throat then continued. "We carefully reviewed your comments, and we agree with your concerns – this year, we're dropping the tag-team format and returning to what worked well in the first year. There will be eight teams, and it will be a best of three battles. Each blader on the team must battle at least two times otherwise the team will be disqualified immediately. We want all bladers to have a fair chance this year."

The crowd stirred to life with a round of applause. "Back to basics, it seems," said another girl.

"Where is the tournament going to be held?"

"As you may well recall, Australia was home to the semi-finals of the recent tag-team tournament. The board and I have decided to allow the country to be the host nation of the fourth world cup. The Australian Board has partnered with the New Zealand Board to bring you top matches in high quality dishes," Stanley continued. Another round of applause. The man smiled. "Thirdly, I would like to announce that-"

It took only a split second, and Mr. Dickinson was dead. The man stumbled backwards then fell on his backside, as security guards rushed to his side. It was total chaos. One minute the fans were screaming out the names of their idols, and the next moment there were screams of terror. He could understand their fear – no one would suspect a gunman to shoot the BBA chairmen dead at such a public event. Heck, there had never been a shooting before.

Dead. Hard to believe really. If he hadn't witnessed it with his eyes, he would've just disbelieved it. The most powerful man in the world brought to the ground with a single gunshot to the head. Alexander climbed down from the tree and walked away from the panicked crowd, smirk tracing his lips. "It seems like there's another player in this game," he said to himself.

.

Well, re-uploaded for people who never had the chance to read it before.


	2. Where Do We Go From Here

Thanks to Soumita, LadyDiamond92 and blitzkriegboysbop for reviewing the first chapter.

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 **Chapter One: Where Do We Go From Here**

" _Breaking news – Stanley Dickinson has died in a horrific shooting. The Chairmen of the BBA Board was attending an event to announce the rules for the upcoming tournament when he was shot down by an assassin. It's unknown how the man or woman entered the venue, but police are asking questions of security. These visuals were taken during and after the shooting – we warn that viewers may find these visuals confronting."_

Images of the event played on the screen. Stanley was on stage before the BBA logo banner, speaking into a microphone, addressing the audience about the changes to this year's world tournament. A large crowd had gathered at the venue, and many of them could be seen taking photos.

What seemed like a peaceful and fun event soon turned into chaos within seconds. A gunshot. Screaming. Sirens blaring. Security yelling. Chaos. People fled in different directions, searching for the quickest way to escape the venue while security guards tried to point people in the right direction. Medical staff members raced up on stage to try and save Stanley, but the damage had already been done.

A bullet in the centre of his forehead. The perfect shot. Whoever had fired the bullet had obviously been trained for this task. But why? Who would do such a thing? Questions raced through his mind, but he had no answers. All he could do was sit here before the television screen and ask 'why?' like he suspected so many other people were asking.

"I can't believe it…" Kenny said. He was sitting to Tyson's right, cross-legged with his laptop resting on his lap. Tears had not fallen yet, but Tyson suspected they would soon follow once his mind had recovered from the shock. "Stanley dead…"

A man who had contributed so much to the world of sport had met an untimely end at the hands of some coward. Stanley had been responsible for organizing the tournaments and could take credit for making beyblading the number one sport in the world. Now he was dead. What a hard term to accept. Dead.

Tyson bit hard on his lower lip to prevent the tears from falling. He had to be strong, now more than ever before. "We're going to find out what happened, Kenny," he said, placing a hand on Kenny's shoulder to provide the younger boy with some comfort. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to find answers, but he knew it had to be done, no matter what the cost. "Stanley gave me the chance to be the blader that I am today; I'm not going to let this death go unanswered," he added, pulling his arm back.

"And just how do you propose we do achieve that, Tyson?" Kenny snapped.

In most circumstances, Tyson would argue back, but there was a legit reason behind his younger friend's temper. "I don't know how, but I know we will avenge Mr. Dickinson." The world would be expecting it. "We can't sit here and mourn, Kenny. We need to be strong." Easier said than done. It was hard to be emotionally strong when a part of you had just died.

Tears rolled down Kenny's cheeks. He wiped them away, but the tears persisted to fall. "He's dead, Tyson! Murdered in public before a crowd of fans! Finding information isn't going to bring Mr. Dickinson back!" The boy closed his laptop, tucked it beneath his right arm, and surged to his feet.

"Kenny," Tyson said, rising to his feet. "We can't let fear control us." Whoever had killed Stanley had targeted him for a reason. This was no random attack that much was certain. The BBA was the most powerful company in the world and murdering the chairman was a fine way to cripple them.

Kenny drew in a deep breath. "You might be able to remain calm in this situation, Tyson, but I can't! Someone wanted Mr. Dickinson dead! What's to say they won't target the rest of us? Going outside is dangerous. They'll be watching our every movement and-"

"Snap out of it, Kenny!" Tyson snapped. Kenny fell silent, taking in deep breaths. The poor boy was trembling. "We don't know that for sure," he added, lowering his tone. "What we do know is a crime like this can't go unresolved."

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"It's hard, I know," Tyson replied softly. "Stanley made us who we are today. He gave us a chance despite all the odds stacked against him. He made the BBA organization, and we the faces of it. We may not be able to bring him back, but we can do what is right. We can take the easy option out and run away from this, but we can never hide. We need to unite as one and take the fight back, and show them we are not beaten."

Kenny wiped the tears away from his face once more. This time, they did not return. He nodded. "Mr. Dickinson deserves a proper burial first."

"I agree, and we will give him one, but first I need to know – Are you with me?"

There was a slight delay in Kenny's response. The boy was unnerved, afraid. "I've stood at your side for years, Tyson. That's never going to change."

Relief poured through him. Their cause would be lost without Kenny's mind. "I'm glad to hear it."

"We'll need to contact the others – Daichi, Hilary, Rei, Max and Kai."

Reunite a divided team to combat a threat once again. History did seem to repeat after all. "Daichi, Hilary, Rei and Max are in town, so they'll be easy to contact, but Kai is someplace else." Typical Kai. Always missing when you needed him the most. However, to be fair, it wasn't like the G-Revolutions were a functioning team anymore since they had all retired. He still kept in contact with them, but their priorities were different now.

"I'll organize the details for a private funeral service then," Kenny said.

Tyson nodded. "I appreciate it."

Kenny headed towards the door then stopped before heading out. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

Good question. It wasn't like he had anyone to practice with at the moment, so that was out of the question. "I'm going to head into town." Maybe he would visit the training area in one of the parks on the other side and help calm the general populace. Perhaps someone there could provide more information on what happened at the venue. "I'll catch you later, Kenny."

"Don't do anything reckless."

What could possibly go wrong that hadn't already?

.

Walking around in Edinburgh city wasn't something Johnny did often; his personal servants did the shopping so he really didn't have the need to come. Only on the rare occasions did he visit the city and it was only because his friend and teammate, Oliver, owned a cafe called, 'Boulangerie de France' in the centre.

Johnny didn't like Oliver, but it was nice to receive discounts on his meals. His teammates called him 'a cheapskate' but he didn't care. Even though he was from the wealthiest family in Scotland, he wouldn't dare say no to a discounted meal. Unfortunately, visiting Oliver also meant seeing his other annoying teammates. Now that they were officially a team, Robert had decided it would be a good idea for them to act like one.

"I'm sorry, I meant to say you were wicked pretty, not pretty wicked!" Enrique exclaimed, running after two girls. The two females turned their noses up, and stormed off in the opposite direction. Enrique continued to chase after them. He covered an extra ten metres then stopped, huffing and puffing.

Johnny smirked. "Did you scare them off again? Must be your face."

"Maybe they saw _you_ and decided to run." He bent over to catch his breath. "Anyway... I don't see _you_ trying to talk to girls - you don't know how hard it can be!"

"Well for starters, I wouldn't spray spit all over them as I attempted to woo them with lame pick up liners," Johnny said, shaking his head, "and I wouldn't attempt to touch them on the first conversation. Slow down Casanova."

Enrique glared. "What would you know? I've never even seen you speak to a girl. Do you even know what a girl is?"

"Of course I know what a girl is, my mother is one."

"Your mother looks like a man!"

Johnny growled. "She does not!"

"She does too! She's so strong it's frightening!"

"That's because you're scrawny and weak."

"I'm not weak!"

Johnny stabbed a finger in Enrique's face. "Then why were you left off the team when we battled the Bladebreakers a couple years back? Robert was always going to go last, me second and Oliver third. You are the weakest link, _Enrique-poo_."

"Don't call me that!"

"I thought you liked it when girls called you Enrique-poo?"

"Last time I checked you weren't a girl."

"What? Do you spy on me when I bathe?"

Enrique's mouth dropped in mock surprise. "You actually bathe? Alert the media!"

Their pointless argument had caught the attention of their leader, Robert. He was currently waiting in line to order some coffee, but he exited the queue to deal with his teammates. He walked up to them with a stern expression. "Are you arguing again about unimportant matters in public?

Ah Robert. He was always finding ways to interrupt his fun. The man had a natural talent for it. It was almost as if he had some sort of sixth sense because he was always there to resolve any arguments between his teammates. Johnny turned to his leader, and snorted. "Blame Enrique."

Robert was not impressed. "We are the Majestics, and we have a reputation to uphold. If you continue to act like this people will not take us seriously." There was a couple sitting a few tables away. Their eyes were looking in their direction. One of them started giggling.

"But Robert, Johnny started it!" Enrique whined, pointing a finger at Johnny.

Johnny growled, clenching both his hands into fists. "He was asking for it!"

"He's jealous because girls hate him!"

Their argument had become louder now, so loud random people walking by were watching a highly professional team arguing amongst themselves about stupid things. Some people laughed, while others simply shook their heads muttering about 'young people these days'. "Girls don't hate me," Johnny retorted.

"Enough of this childish bickering," Robert said, stepping in between the two before a fight could break out. Johnny was about five seconds away from throwing a fist into Enrique's ugly face. "Now sit down and behave like the nobles we are supposed to be."

No one argued with Robert and won. Johnny sat down on the opposite side of Enrique, and folded his arms over his chest. Enrique sat down as well, and pulled out his phone. The guy was probably on some weird chat room trying to pick up the girls. What a sad and foolish person he was. "So, what's the latest news? I didn't say up to watch the broad cast."

"I'm not sure myself. I was attending a private dinner during the broad cast, and as you would know, watching the television while my relatives are visiting is considered rude."

Johnny turned to Enrique. Enrique wasn't paying at this point. He was too busy typing something into his phone, a rather smug smile on his face. Johnny rolled his eyes. Why was he on a team with this idiot again? "Maybe Oliver knows something. I'll call him over." Rather than walk over to the shop and walk in through the back door, he took the easy method and pulled out his phone. He brought up his list of contacts, pressed on 'Nancy-Boy' and waited for Oliver to pick up.

After three dials, Oliver replied. "Hello, this is Oliver Polanski speaking. How may I help you?"

"It's Johnny. We're sitting outside, so why don't you come on over and speak with us?"

"All right. Give me a few moments and I'll be there," he replied softly.

He sounded… sad? Either something tragic had happened, or Oliver had watched one of those horrible chick flicks again. He put his money on the latter. Oliver was simply the most sensitive blader he had ever met. That's why he gave him the nickname 'Nancy-Boy'. It was quite the fitting title. "See you shortly, Nancy." He hung up on the phone then put it away.

"Do you have to call him that?" Robert said, giving him the usual, 'I'm so disappointed in you look'.

Johnny shrugged. "It's a fitting name." Robert rubbed the bridge of his nose. He did that often when he was stressed. "I won't call him that again for the remainder of today, but I can't make any promises for tomorrow," he added.

"Whatever pleases you, Jonathon."

Poor Robert. He was probably regretting ever making the Majestics an official team now because it meant he actually had to spend time with them. "There's Oliver," Johnny remarked, turning his head to the left. Oliver was dressed in his usual white chef's clothing and wearing the silly cap too. Normally, he'd be smiling, but for the first time in a long time, there was a frown on his face. "What's wrong with you? Did you watch Bambi's mother dying again?" Johnny said. He couldn't help himself. Smart-arse rude comments naturally came to him with little thought. It was for that reason he didn't have any friends.

Oliver approached the table. Now that he was close, Johnny saw the redness in his eyes. The boy had been crying. "Robert, Enrique, and Johnny – it's a pleasure to meet with you again so soon. I wish I was in a better mood, but tragedy has befallen the community."

"What are you talking about?" Johnny demanded.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You have not seen the news?"

Enrique glanced up from his phone. "Nope. I was taking the girls out on my yacht."

"I was hosting a dinner to my relatives during the broadcast."

"I was sleeping," answered Johnny.

Oliver wiped his eyes. "Stanley Dickinson was announced dead this morning."

.

After a few months of silence, the hype surrounding the world tournament had started up again. It was the same pattern every year – qualifying rounds would commence in March, and those fortunate enough to make it through represented their countries late April. The tournament ended in September, and the hype would die down in October. November and December were quiet as the public was mostly concerned with Christmas, but as soon as January rolled around talks would begin again.

However, this year was different. It was only the last week of November, and hype for next year had already begun. He supposed it had something to do with four world-class bladers announcing their retirement a few weeks back. Kai, Rei, Max and Daichi all publicly declaring they were not going to compete in the next world tournament. It was a big loss, but it would be better for the world of sport. Of course, Tyson was still in the competition being the defending champion.

"So tell me Tala, are we going to compete or not?" Bryan said, leaning forward on the table. "It'll be the easiest tournament to compete in without having to worry about the other big four bladers."

Currently, they were back home in Moscow in a small cabin far from the city. There were still groups of people who didn't trust his team, and rightfully so. Best to distance himself from the public eye, and besides, it was no real loss anyway since he wasn't one for the social life. "I haven't given it much thought, but it is tempting to compete in a third world cup."

"I want to compete again," Bryan said.

"As do I," said Spencer.

Ian nodded. "The last time I competed in a tournament was the first one."

Time certainly flew by. "And why do you wish to compete again?"

Bryan made a fist with his right hand. "We were once the most powerful team in the world, and now we've been reduced to nothing. That tag-team format they introduced in the third year made us look to be weak – that tournament seemed designed to favour Tyson, Max, Rei and Kai while the rest of us were there for support." He paused for a brief moment then continued. "We have something to prove to the world that we are a powerful team without the aid of sponsors, coaches and all that shit."

"He has a point, Tala. We were the only team to make it to the end without a coach," Spencer said.

True. All the other teams had coaches. The BBA Revolution had Hiro, the White Tigers had Tao, the PBB All-Starz had Judy, Barthez Battalion had Barthez, and F-Dynasty had Romero. Even BEGA had a coach. The Blitzkrieg Boys were the only ones self-coached in the last tournament. "Fair point raised, Bryan."

"Then I vote that we compete and we show the world that we are a team to be reckoned with," Bryan said, slamming the table with his fist. "Those in favour say, aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

All three boys looked to Tala for the final confirmation. "That's three votes, Tala."

Some teams disbanded after a failure, but not Tala's team. They were loyal to the cause because they truly believed victory was within their grasp. Loyalty – it was certainly a thing the other teams could learn about. "Then we shall compete in the tournament once more and show the world what we are truly capable of."

"Only one thing one remains, Tala," Ian started.

"What's that?"

"What do we call ourselves? The Demolition Boys or the Blitzkrieg Boys?"

Tala leaned back in his chair. "Let's put it to a vote."


	3. Hearts Divided

**Chapter Two: Hearts Divided**

Living a nomadic style had its perks. For one thing, he did not have to worry about his freedom. He could do whatever he wanted at whatever time he felt was appropriate without a care in the world since there was no one around to tell him how to live his life. Also, it gave him the chance to experience a variety of different sights and sounds, some he might not have the chance if he lived with other people. However, despite the benefits a nomadic lifestyle brought, he couldn't deny it was a lonely path to take.

He re-adjusted the golden mask on his face as he made his way to the remains of the BEGA HQ. Months had long since passed since BEGA's downfall, but there were people who still lived in fear of the name. To avoid unnecessary conflict, Mystel shielded his face with his golden mask, only removing it when he was in the presence of someone he trusted.

Mariah, the blader of the White Tiger X team, was such a person. Despite Lee's hostility towards him, Mystel had persevered with building a friendship with Mariah. Perhaps it was a mistake to drop his guard when he was around her, but he couldn't find it within himself to pull away. He liked coming to meet with her. He enjoyed being in her company, and he was pretty confident she enjoyed being with him.

Her long curls of pink hair fell down her back, bouncing with each step she made, her eyes alight with excitement and intelligence. Today she was wearing a pink tank top and matching pink shorts. Often, people would laugh behind her back about her clothing colour preferences, but he wasn't fussed. In fact, it only made her more likable in his eyes because it was a telling sign she didn't allow others negative comments influence her thoughts.

"I'm surprised you're here," Mystel said.

Mariah smiled. "I would never turn down an opportunity to spend time with you, Mystel," she said softly, taking a seat on the wooden bench beneath a gnarled tree.

"I'm worried about your brother," he replied. Lee was the typical over-protective brother, always worried someone would take advantage of his baby sister. It was pathetic, really – after all, Mariah was eighteen now and clearly old enough to make decisions on her own – but she was hopelessly devoted to him. It had been hard enough convincing Mariah to come and meet with him once a week.

Mariah patted the space next to her. He took that as an invitation to sit down as well. "My brother doesn't _hate_ you."

"Hate no, but dislike? Yes."

She sighed. "Lee's heart is in the right place. He wants what's best for me."

"And that's me staying away from you."

"It's not like that at all," she defended, one brow furrowed. "He's just… a little shaken after the whole BEGA incident, and I can't really blame him. When it was made known Boris was the mastermind of BEGA, it made quite a large number of us fearful of you."

Mystel rolled his eyes. It always came back to Boris. What exactly did the old man do anyway that earned him so much hatred? "And so you all wrongly assumed the worst in us? We all joined BEGA for different reason, Mariah. Hell, we didn't even know anything about Boris's history when he sent us the invitations."

"It's hard to shake off the past."

"But now that's behind us and we should look forward to what the future may bring."

She raised a hand, and ran her fingertips through her pink tresses of hair, then sighed. "I'm not blaming you. I don't hold you at fault for anything that happened, but my brother…" Another sharp intake of breath, then she added, "He has a hard time letting go of grudges."

"We don't need to worry about Boris or anyone else like that anymore," Mystel said, tilting his head to the side slightly. "Shall we change the topic? Talking about old men is quite a depressing topic."

"The tournament. Are you competing?"

Ah yes, the upcoming Beyblade tournament, the fourth one to be held. The team had debated the issue for the past several weeks. Ming Ming and Crusher were both in favour of it, and Garland and Brooklyn were not. It had been up to Mystel to cast the final vote and he voted against it. What was the point?

What else did they need to prove? Who really cared about winning a piece of silverware anyway? It's not like it improved your health or anything. It just brought more public attention to yourself and sometimes that was more of a curse than a blessing. No. Once was enough. Besides, four of the five G-Revolutions had called it quits.

He shook his head. "We argued about it for weeks, but in the end we decided against it."

There was actual disappointment in Mariah's eyes much to his surprise. "Oh, that's a shame. It would've been nice to battle against your team."

"Except we're not really a team," he corrected. She raised a brow. "We hang out together for the sake of it, but that doesn't mean we like each other. It's pretty hard to return to the lives we had before we became popular for all the wrong reasons." Most employees were terrified they would blow up the building. Others believed they still had connections with Boris and were spying for him, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

"Why did you enter the tournament then? You knew it was going to change your life forever."

He shrugged. "I ask myself that every day when I wake up in morning. Why did I compete in such an important tournament featuring the biggest battles of all blading history knowing quite well what it would entail?" He glanced down at his lap and drew in a deep breath then exhaled. "It was a chance to try something new. When the opportunity is there, you take it, right? You don't think about the consequences. You just do it and worry about it later."

Currently, he was living with his team in a small apartment on the eastern side of the city. It was quieter on that side of town, and the less people he had to deal with, the better for his mental health. It was no secret they were struggling to get by each day. The team wasn't wanted by sponsors because of their history with Boris (and without money they wouldn't be able to fly to the tournament to compete anyway), and employees were too afraid to take the risk of hiring them. Money was made by taking on private tutoring lessons in the city with the rebellious few in the city, but it wasn't enough to live a decent life. It took a month to save up for a game of bowling. That's how dire things were.

"You know if you ever need any help, you could always ask."

"No. I appreciate the offer, but we'll make it through this." At least he hoped they did. Perhaps this was how the Blitzkrieg Boys felt after their tournament with Boris at the helm. The entire world would've been against them, and they too, would've been struggling financially to survive each day. He wondered how they did it. He was about to speak further when he felt a vibration in his right pocket. He took the phone out, entered his pass code and brought up the message.

"Something wrong?"

Mystel read the text. _We're playing a round of bowling tonight. You know where to go. Garland expects you to be there, so don't be too late – Brooklyn._ One of Garland's 'team bonding' activities. The man was determined to make things work, and he felt if they became close friends, somehow their lives would turn around for the better.

Putting his phone away, he stood up from the chair and glanced down at Mariah. "Garland's called a team meeting. We'll be debating about what we should eat tonight. Same time next week, yeah?"

She nodded, also rising to her feet. "Of course." She wrapped her arms around him, embraced him for a few moments then pulled away. "Just remember, if you need help, we'll be there to lend a hand."

"I'll keep that in mind."

She stepped back. "Bye Mystel."

"Bye Mariah."

.

Life at the PBB HQ was always busy. Even post-tournament, the employers never had a day's rest. Researchers would work overtime to ensure their tasks were done. Now that they were the biggest company in the world, the expectations and demands were unreasonably high. Judy helped herself to a cup of strong coffee as she settled on the chair before her computer.

Researchers were currently working on a new beyblade designs that would allow blades to endure more damage so there match-time was increased. With beyblade continuing to grow in popularity all across the globe, fans wanted matches to be longer so they could get their money's worth. Beyblade wasn't an amateur sport anymore – it was a money-making industry and everyone wanted to be a part of it.

A young female scientist with a deep shade of red hair, rushed forward. "Judy, we have a problem in C14! One of the computers has experienced a technical fault!"

"Tell the IT department to fix it," Judy replied.

"But Judy, they-"

Judy bit back her lip. "That's their problem. I don't care how long it takes – just tell them to fix it."

The young woman nodded and turned around, sprinting towards the IT office. This was what her life had become – a life of chaos and madness, and her stress levels were now at an all time high. Not an hour went by without some form of interruption. Taking in another sip of her coffee, Judy brought up her email and scanned the list of the unread.

"Spam. Spam. Spam. Wedding invitation. More spam. Funeral… Urgent?"

She frowned. The sender was anonymous. How odd. It wasn't often she received urgent message. Last one she had received had been over three months ago and was about a meeting with some blading associations. Curiosity caught, Judy clicked on the message. The words were as follows:

 _Dear Ms Tate,_

 _It is with utmost pleasure that I invite you to a special dinner to be held at 'Taste the Aroma' on Christmas Eve._

 _Please respond as soon as possible so I can finalize the details of your pick-up._

 _Sincerely, Anonymous_

Eyebrows still raised, Judy exited the message. Her email address was known to the public since she was the face of the company, but this was still unexpected. Someone was inviting her to dinner at the expensive restaurant atop Sky Tower. Someone who wanted to impress her, but why? Why Christmas Eve? Why so soon, and why now? So many questions raced through her mind yet she had no answers.

She didn't have time to have a social life with being so busy at work each day. She had so few minutes in her day that it was hard to even reply to a text message from her son and ex-husband. Perhaps this was a sign she needed to take some time off, but how would the company cope without her?

"Ms Tate?"

The young female scientist had returned. Startled, Judy jumped in her chair. "What's the problem, Lucinda?"

"The computer was infected with a virus. Our virus protection expired about a week ago. It can be easily resolved if you renew the contract for another year."

She rubbed her temples. Of course. "I shall do that immediately."

Lucinda didn't move. She looked at Judy, her hazel eyes fixed on her face. "When was the last time you had a decent night's rest?"

Great. So she had black bags beneath her eyes now. What a great look to her employees. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You need a break, Ms Tate."

She shook her head. "We have much work that needs to be done."

"We can manage. Your health must come first. If you're unwell, nothing will be achieved." The girl raised a fine point. She looked at the screen again. Accepting that offer was becoming more tempting with each passing moment. It had been years since she had attended a fine dining restaurant. "Um, Ms Tate?"

Judy blinked, and glanced up at the girl again. "I might just take your advice after all. I have a meeting to attend on Christmas Eve."

"Well, when I said take some time off, I actually meant do nothing related to work, Ms Tate."

"I'm going to a dinner."

"Oh, that's great! With whom if I may ask?"

"A former work colleague," Judy replied. Why cause concern with her workers by saying she didn't know the person? "It's been awhile since I've caught up with my old friends," she added, hoping she sounded convincing enough. It must've worked because Lucinda smiled and nodded.

"That's wonderful news, Ms. Tate."

"Do have any other news to report?"

Before the woman could speak another word, they heard what sounded like glass shattering from down below. Without sparing another thought, Judy switched the screen on her computer off, rose to her feet and ran as fast as her legs would carry her to the floor below, Lucinda tagging along behind her.

There were five floors in the PBB HQ. Top floor was basically her house and the All Stars sleeping quarters, the fourth floor dedicated for research, the third floor was the dining area and kitchens, the fourth floor was training facilities and the bottom floor was for storage only. Each floor was fully furnished and air conditioned as well.

"I didn't touch your laptop!" Michael protested, standing a few spaces away from the shattered glass.

A furious Emily was standing opposite to him, her brows furrowed in irritation, her fingers curled into fists. "Then why isn't it turning on?!"

"Shouldn't you know the answer to that question? I thought you were the self-proclaimed brains of the team. You work it out," he snapped. "But I definitely didn't touch your laptop because I wasn't home all day yesterday, so the culprit you are looking for can't be me!"

They were both one step away from turning this into the dramatic fight of the century. Despite the brains she had, Judy could not understand why Michael and Emily spent most of their time arguing rather than working together. If only they both put that same amount of passion and energy into blading, they'd be a force to be reckoned with globally.

"Well, I'm sorry then," Emily said.

"Until the next time something like this happens because we all know I'll be the first person you lay the blame on," he retorted. "Haven't you got anything better to do? Oh right, I forgot, you don't have any friends. No one wants to befriend a bore like you."

Things were getting heated. An intervention had to happen before someone said something they would later regret. "Michael. Emily. Enough," Judy said, stepping in between the two before another word could be said. "I will talk to both of you in my office now." Michael rolled his eyes, and Emily folded her arms over her chest. Fortunately, both had enough sense to know to remain quiet.

"I will clean up at the mess at once," Lucinda said. An excuse to get away quickly. A wise decision.

"Office. Now," Judy ordered.

Michael and Emily glowered at each other, but did as they were told and started heading up towards the office. With a sigh, Judy followed them up the stairs, wondering if there'd ever be a day of peace.

.

Another year, another new tournament. However, this time he wasn't going to be participating in it. There were no longer any point, and he felt no need to prove himself anymore. Tyson had defeated him at his best. Carrying on fighting an uphill battle he clearly couldn't win would be simply foolish. Rei, Max and Daichi still played a large in the world of beyblading, often attending exhibition matches and public events, but Kai wasn't interested.

He had attended as few of these events as possible, but most of the time he was happy to have time to himself away from the public eye. A life of fame and glory wasn't one he wanted. Keeping to the shadows was far more preferable. Money wasn't a problem either since he had inherited Voltaire's fortune after the man had supposedly been declared dead.

He had all the money in the world, but he still felt he lacked something, and he wasn't sure what it was. It was like a gnawing pit of hunger in his stomach that just wouldn't go away, no matter how much he ate, as if his stomach was always empty. Just as empty as this park was now.

Kai was at the park where Stanley Dickinson had been shot dead just hours ago. What was once a beautiful park full of life had now become a graveyard for a cruel murder. The trees were in full blossom now, but they looked dull and aged. Kai hadn't been particularly close to the man, but not even he could deny how influential the man was to the sport.

Kai walked over to the stage where the man had been shot. He climbed over the police tape and kneeled down before the stained blood, then glanced up. Directly across from where he was kneeling was the tree the enemy had been hiding in. One bullet, one pull of the trigger, and death had followed shortly afterwards.

Another player in the game. Someone who obviously saw Stanley as a threat. Someone who felt he was so dangerous that he needed to be taken out of the game permanently. But who? Who would be so desperate to commit such a vile act? Voltaire was rumoured to be behind bars (and reported dead by many sources though Kai wasn't so sure about that), and nor could it be Boris for he too was behind bars.

Barthez was also in jail, and Gideon had died during their time on that island a few years back. Dr. Zagart? He was the man responsible for releasing powerful bitbeasts from a rock, but his intentions had been noble, despite being a little twisted and extreme. The man had only wanted to save his son.

Someone else from the Abbey, perhaps? He wouldn't be surprised considering the history of that place. More madmen inspired by Boris and Voltaire might've carried out this act to make a name for themselves and secure a place in history for all the wrong reasons. He rose up from the ground, and jumped over the police tape, puzzled. For once in his life, he didn't have the answers or any theories, and that unnerved him.

"Kai?"

Kai heard his name and turned around. Tyson, the reigning world champion. He hated Tyson in some ways. The boy was obnoxious, stubborn and reckless but he wasn't stupid. Tyson could plan and come up with strategies of his own despite what the vast majority of the global population thought. In a way, he envied Tyson deep down. Perhaps a little of himself had been jealous of Tyson's incredible rise in popularity and power in a short space of three years. Perhaps it was for that reason he wanted to beat Tyson at the sport he loved more than anything else in the world.

The boy hadn't changed much over the past few months. He still wore that ridiculous cap backwards, and still practically shouted every word. However, despite his faults, Tyson was a good friend to have at his side. He'd sacrifice everything to save a friend. He always saw the good in people before the bad. He believed in second chances even if someone didn't deserve it. Kai couldn't say the same about other bladers he had crossed paths with.

"Tyson," Kai acknowledged with a slight tilt of his head. "I see you look as ridiculous as always."

Tyson smirked. "I take that as a compliment coming from you."

"I try hard to be sincere, Tyson. You know I always speak the honest truth."

The amused smirk from Tyson's face faded. Harmless banter now aside, it was time to focus on the more urgent matters. "You heard about it too then. Why else would you be here right now?" Tyson said, glancing down at the pool of blood on the stage. "What do you think happened?"

"I'd say it was planned. Someone wanted Stanley dead, and now was the perfect time to strike." Kai looked back at Tyson meeting his dark eyes with his own. "Kill the man just as the rules for the upcoming tournament have been shared. Kill him as the hype builds. What a better way to throw the blading world into chaos and unsettle a global audience?"

Tyson rubbed the bridge of his nose, frowning. "You think there's going to be more attacks, don't you?"

There was a long pause before he answered again. "Yes, and I think it will happen when all the hype has died down. I think another attack against the BBA will happen just as soon as we become comfortable again."

"Any theories as to who it could be?"

Kai shook his head. "No. All possible suspects are in jail or at a rehabilitation clinic."

Tyson sighed. "So we know nothing. That's a great start."

"We'll find something. We just have to look for it."

Tyson raised a brow. "We don't even know where to start."

"Give it some time, Tyson. Someone will find something and that'll be enough for us to learn more." Kai turned his head to the side, glancing back down at the puddle of blood. "You need to watch yourself or you could end up like that too."

"You really think they'll come after us?"

Kai looked up again. "Come on, Tyson. You're not stupid. The BBA is most recognized name in the world now. Who doesn't want something from the company? The BBA may have no leader, but they still have power, money and influence, many things a lot of people want for themselves. If I were in your shoes, I would distance myself from the BBA until this problem is resolved."

As expected, Tyson forced a laugh. "Keep my distance from the BBA? I know you don't joke often, but I really hope this is one of those times."

"Think about it. You are the BBA's poster boy, Tyson. You're the number one target now. Enemies of the BBA will want to target you and your allies next." The best thing to do was to keep your distance. "I know you want to defend your title, but is it worth the risk of losing your life?" Tyson didn't reply. He was thinking hard about Kai's words. That's one thing Kai liked about Tyson – he was willing to listen.

"You're suggesting that I withdraw from the tournament?"

"No – I suggest something even better. Declare yourself an enemy to the BBA. Cut off all ties with the organization, and you won't be a threat." Perhaps the idea itself was a little extreme, but it was the best possible solution. Tyson could still compete without a sponsor since he had the finances to support himself.

"That's insane." He shook his head. "I won't do it. I can't turn my back. Stanley made me who I am today, Kai. Turning against the BBA would be like… spitting on his grave."

Kai took one step towards Tyson, closing the distance between them, his eyes fixed on Tyson's face. He had to make the boy see reason. "You're not the only one who was given a chance, Tyson. Stanley did what he did to you to me as well. He brought a divided team together and gave us the chance to compete in a global tournament. He's given me more chances than I deserve, but this is the only way I can think of that will protect us. We can't do anything to help the BBA if we are buried six feet under."

Silence again. Tyson was obviously still deep in thought. After a few moments, he spoke up again. "Kenny's organizing a private memorial service for Stanley… I want you to be there, Kai. Rei, Max, Hilary and Daichi will also be there. I want them to hear what you told me then we'll vote on it. I'm not going to act without full support."

Typical Tyson. He wasn't going to do something without the backing of his friends. "All right. I'll be there, but I'm serious about this, Tyson. I see no other way." He turned his back and started walking off without giving Tyson a chance to speak. That was one issue partially resolved. Now it was time to solve the other one involving the Blitzkrieg Boys.

.

Thanks for reading! Big thanks to LadyDiamond92 for reviewing the previous chapter.


	4. Tempers Rising

**Chapter Three: Tempers Rising**

The Blitzkrieg Boys (now renamed as the Demolition Boys) had arrived in Japan. Kai noticed the status update on Bey Network, the number one social networking site for bladers all around the world. That could only mean one thing – Tala and his friends were interested in participating in the upcoming world tournament. He suspected his former teammate believed they had a better chance of winning now that Tyson was the only remaining Bladebreaker left competing.

Needless to say, Kai didn't hold his former team in high regard. They weren't as skilled as they thought themselves to be, and they'd be lucky to make it to the finals. Other teams, such as the PBB All-Stars and White Tigers, had shown much improvement in the last tournament while the Blitzkrieg Boys preferred to stick to their old methods.

A part of him wondered why he was even bothering to visit the team. It wasn't like he was close friends with any of them, but he shared a history with Tala and friends that he couldn't ignore. That was why he was here now outside their training quarters, waiting for one of them to open the door and let him in.

Their accommodation was nothing more than an old apartment block in the shady part of town. Only the brave would walk the streets after the sun dipped below horizon for unruly bladers would prowl the streets, searching for easy victims to steal off. They were yet to have been given an official name, but Kai called them 'wild bladers'. Wild bladers were hunters. They worked in pairs, sometimes groups of threes, prowling the streets at night, waiting to ambush an unsuspecting victim.

In some ways, they reminded him of the infamous parts hunting duo, King and Queen. It had been two years since he had last seen them, but he hadn't forgotten losing to the pair. The duo had since disappeared after the second tournament, and Kai hoped to never cross paths with them again. They reminded him of his own shady history back when he was the leader of the Blade Sharks.

Pushing grim thoughts aside, Kai curled his fingers into a fist then knocked on the door three times once again. Couldn't Tala invest in a door bell? It would make things so much easier. He waited what seemed like minutes when the door opened, revealing Ian, the youngest member of the team. That was a face he hadn't seen in years.

"Kai, we meet again," Ian said, glancing up at him, a smug smirk plastered on his face. He pulled the door back, stepped aside and allowed Kai in before closing it behind him.

The apartment's exterior was nothing to be boastful of, but its interior was surprisingly half-decent. It wasn't exactly large, but there was enough space for four people. A glass table for four separated the kitchen and the lounge. A leather couch was pressed up against a cream-coloured wall positioned beneath a large painting of the outback. Opposite to the couch was a seventy inch plasma television screen sitting on top a black table.

"Tala, he's here!" Ian crowed. He moved towards the couch and flopped down on it, crossing his right leg over his left.

Moments later, Tala appeared. He was accompanied by Bryan and Spencer. "Look what the cat dragged in," Bryan commented sourly. There was no love between Kai, Bryan and Spencer. Relations had soured after an intense training session which had left the two bladers unconscious on the floor. Kai hadn't even bothered to check up on them afterwards – they were just living target dummies to him.

Kai ignored them. Tala was the only reason he had come to this part of town. "Did you come here looking to strike a deal with us again?" The red-headed blader asked. His arms were folded across his chest, and his eyes were narrowed with suspicion. As welcoming as ever.

"I have no interest in joining with you again, Tala," Kai replied calmly. "Haven't you heard the news? I retired from the professional life."

"Then why have you come? I can't imagine you came all this way out of the goodness of your heart."

Kai took a step closer. His eyes didn't miss the clenching of fists from both Spencer and Bryan. _So, that's how it is,_ Kai thought. _You still don't trust me… and I don't suppose I've ever given you a reason to._ "I'm here because I thought you might like to know about the recent turn in events. Spencer, Bryan, I suggest you lower your fists… I'm not here to cause trouble."

The two bladers looked to Tala. Tala nodded. They relaxed – but only just. Kai was sure if Tala gave the order, Bryan and Spencer would not hesitate to launch their blades at him. Their devotion to Tala was fascinating, and something his mind struggled to comprehend. Why hadn't they ever shown such loyalty towards him? "Speak."

"Stanley's been shot dead. He was murdered in broad daylight just a few days ago during a public event."

Tala raised a brow. "So the old man has finally dropped dead. I don't see why this concerns us – we have no ties to the BBA."

"It should concern you because it means there's another player in the game," Kai explained, moving closer still. Now he was just an arm's reach from his former teammate. "Someone who wanted the BBA out of the way permanently. What better way to achieve that than to shoot the man behind the organization dead?"

Ian sat up, brows furrowed. "You don't think it was Boris, do you?"

Kai shook his head. "No. As delusional as Boris was, I doubt he'd shoot someone dead. That's not his style." His preferred method was mind games and tricks. The man had a natural way with words. "It can't be Voltaire either. He is still behind bars." He knew this because the man often sent him letters to 'meet up'.

"A former BIOVOLT employee?" Spencer said. "Boris can't have been the only madman in the organization."

It was possible. Perhaps a few of them had taken inspiration from Boris and decided to do something on their own. Maybe Boris had a group of followers carrying out his orders from beyond the iron bars to wreck havoc on the world and disrupt the peace until his time was served. But the timing was all wrong. If this was Boris causing problems then why hadn't he pulled this stunt after losing the first tournament?

"Possible, but I don't think BIOVOLT is behind this," Kai replied. "They wouldn't wait this long to strike back. Are you sure you want to compete in the upcoming tournament?"

"Nothing will change our minds, Kai. You of all people should know that," Tala answered. "But then again, you were never the one to concern yourself with the thoughts and feelings of those around you."

Resentment? Jealousy? Did Tala still bear a grudge against him after all these long years? Kai narrowed his eyes. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You left Bryan and Spencer unconscious on the floor in a private training room," Tala pointed out. "You didn't tell me where you had taken my teammates. I reported them missing, and it took hours for the security to locate them. Fortunately, Bryan and Spencer sustained only minor injuries, but it could've been a lot worse."

"I don't take orders from you, Tala."

"And I don't appreciate you using my team to further your own ambition."

Kai snorted. He couldn't help it. "Your team? If I remember correctly, we were both part of the Blitkzrieg Boys, and I brought the team to the finals." If not for his efforts, the Blitzkrieg Boys would've been lucky to get past the White Tigers. Tala hadn't exactly been impressive, and his easy loss to Garland was embarrassing.

"You might have been part of the Blitzkrieg Boys, Kai, but you were never one of us. You haven't the understanding of what it means to be part of a team because loyalty isn't something you can comprehend," Tala retorted, anger growing in his tone. "You switch teams whenever the opportunity to further your own ambition arises. Maybe you're not so different from grandfather, after all."

Kai tightened his jaw, anger rising. To bring Voltaire into a conversation and compare that… that monster to himself? "I am nothing like Voltaire," he replied, through clenched teeth. "Voltaire wanted was best for himself. He used others to achieve his goals without care for anyone else." _He used me to carry out his mad plans, and I was a fool to believe in him,_ he thought.

"And how is that any different to your actions, Kai? You turned your back on BIOVOLT twice. You turned your back on the Bladebreakers several times. You turned your back on BEGA. You turned your back on us. Betrayal is in your blood, Kai." Bryan, Spencer and Ian remained silent, allowing Tala to do all the talking, but judging by the hard expressions on their faces, they shared the same opinion as Tala about him. "And I would be a fool to extend a hand of friendship towards you again."

"I came here to warn you about a possible threat."

"And I appreciate that, Kai, but we can fend for ourselves. We're not as weak as you think us to be."

Why had he bothered visiting the Blitkzrieg Boys again? What a waste of his time this had been. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll see myself out." He turned his back and headed for the door, feeling their eyes watching him retreat. A bubbling pit of anger stirred in his stomach. He was not Voltaire. The man didn't deserve to have his name in the same sentence as his own.

"And don't ever come back. You're not one of us, and you never will be."

Kai slammed the door shut.

.

"What do you mean Stanley Dickinson has died?" Enrique repeated, glancing up from his phone, concerned. "I didn't realize he was battling an illness."

Oliver wiped his eyes then drew in a breath before exhaling. "He was murdered at a public appearance. Shot dead by a silent assassin."

Robert didn't voice his opinion on the topic, preferring to listen to all the details on the matter. Johnny knew he was deep in thought, most likely running through potential suspects already. Stanley Dickinson shot dead. Why would someone want to kill a man like that unless someone wanted him out of the way for whatever reason?

"Stanley didn't harm anyone," Enrique stated. "What reason would someone have to justify murdering him in cold blood?"

That was the smartest question Enrique had raised all day. Perhaps he wasn't so clueless after all. "A threat," Johnny answered. "We didn't have much to do with Stanley, but you have to admit, he had a lot of influence. The man has relations all around the world. He's probably the richest man… Well, was." Perhaps even wealthier than their team combined. That was a worrying thought. "But it shouldn't concern us. Stanley wasn't our sponsor."

"He's dead, Johnny," Enrique countered. "We might not have known the man all that well, but pay the man the respect he deserves. He did a lot for the sport."

"And made a mess of the third world cup with all those ridiculous new rules," Johnny said. "We should've taken Barthaz Battalion's spot when the allegations of cheating were proven right, but we were refused because it was 'too late'. I say he just didn't want us there to mess up his poster boy's run for another world cup title." Because really the Majestics were the only team in the world that could hold their own ground against the Bladebreakers.

"You just want to face Kai again," Enrique said. "But even so, you won't get the chance because he's retired now."

"He'll be back," Johnny stated. "Dickinson dead, BBA world thrown into chaos… I think now is a great time to come back to the game, and I hope he does. World cup isn't the same without some half-decent competition. Let's face it – do we really want to blade in a tournament against amateurs? If it's just Tyson competing, what's the point?"

"Jonathan raises a solid point," Robert said, finally speaking up. "A world tournament isn't as challenging if the best bladers aren't competing. However, on the other hand, we have never competed in such an event before, and I think the rest of the world deserves to know what we are capable of."

Enrique nodded. "The last big match I had was against Tyson in Rome. I'm itching for another chance." He looked to Oliver. "It's awful Stanley has died, but I think we should continue on the fight. What do you say?"

The boy's eyes were red. A new flood of tears rolled down his pallid cheeks. People were looking in their direction. Some were leaning in and whispering words into each other's ears. Most likely trying their hardest not to laugh at Nancy's inability to control his emotions in public.

"Hold yourself together," Johnny snapped, irritated. "People are watching us, and I don't want our good names to be mocked because of you."

Enrique glared. "I think Oliver has a perfectly good reason to be upset. Show a little bit of compassion, Johnny… Or at least try to. It won't kill you."

"Save it for the bedroom where no one can see him make an embarrassment of himself," Johnny retorted. He then looked to Robert for some support. "You have sense. Tell him to stop crying like a little girl."

Surely Robert, the most level-headed of the group, would see this as an embarrassment of the team? He prided himself on remaining calm and in control at all times. Allowing emotions to takeover only led to embarrassing scenes like this. If Oliver had been a girl such an act would be acceptable, but coming from a male? Unacceptable!

"Oliver, you must try to hold it together. We are in public, and you are at work – this is not a good image for the media," Robert said calmly. Johnny couldn't see any media hounds, but they were probably there somewhere, spying on them since they had nothing better to do with their miserable lives than prey on the unfortunate. "We will discuss this later when Oliver has finished his shift. This is a serious matter. Oliver, clean yourself up and return to work."

Trust Robert to come up with those words. Oliver wiped his eyes, bit down on his bottom lip, and returned to the workplace, avoiding all eye contact with surrounding members of the public. Johnny wished the ground would eat him up whole and spit him out someplace else so he didn't have to be here and endure the embarrassment. Trust Oliver to screw things up. The headline of tomorrow's paper would probably read, 'Majestics – Royal Crybabies?'

"Did you have to be so cruel?" Enrique demanded. Amazingly, the boy had put his phone away.

"I'm looking out for the team," he shot back. "We have a reputation to live up to, and we're about to lose it because of Nancy-Boy! Maybe if you weren't so busy looking at porn on your phone you'd try and do what's best for the team as well!"

Enrique's mouth dropped open. "I'm not looking at porn!"

"Then what were you grinning at?"

"A friend told me a joke," Enrique replied. He then lowered his voice and muttered, "Not that you would know anything about that since you don't have any friends."

A muscle jerked in his jaw. Why that arrogant Italian bastard… He surged to his feet, and glared. "What was that?" he demanded.

"Jonathan, please sit down," Robert said. "You are embarrassing us."

That caught his attention. Holding back a frustrated growl, Johnny sat back down his chair, folding his arms across his chest. Why did he have to be stuck on a team of infuriating people? There was Oliver and his over sensitivity. Enrique and his annoying everything. Even Robert could be infuriating with his cold calmness. "We should leave."

"And satisfy the public? We will not hand over control to them," Robert stated as calmly as ever. He grabbed the menu of the table, opened it, and scanned the list of items. "Jonathon, control yourself. Enrique, stop provoking him."

"It's not my fault he's so sensitive," Enrique protested.

"I am _not_ sensitive!"

Enrique held out a hand. "See what I mean?"

"Maybe if you stopped talking I wouldn't have anything to complain about!"

"Maybe you should stop replying to every comment I make."

"And give you the satisfaction of feeling like you've won? Ha! Never!"

"Stop turning everything into a battle – are you trying to compensate for something?"

"Ask yourself the same question since you're the one who feels he needs to be the first to brag about everything."

Robert placed the menu down on the table. "I will try some of Oliver's special French toast. Would you like anything?" He looked to Enrique first who shook his head then turned to Johnny.

"I'd say yes, but it's hard to focus on food when you're sitting across from someone who is wearing clothes that resemble the colours of cat's vomit," Johnny said, rather pleased with himself at that snarky comment. Much to his satisfaction, Enrique took the bait and fired back with a comment of his own. Who was the sensitive one now?

"Hey – I chose this myself!"

"Well that confirms it. You are colour blind!"

Enrique frowned. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It took me a good two hours!"

Johnny struggled not to snicker. "Your jacket is far too small, your yellow shirt is ugly as sin, and those pants? The colour of cat's vomit and your cooking!"

"Who made you fashion police? It's not like you can talk – look at what you're wearing! You look like one of those homeless people we walked past one night! Did you walk up to a trash can and rummage around for some cheap clothes?"

"At least I can control my bitbeast!" he blurted out, changing the topic to something other than fashion. It was taking all his willpower not to leap across the table and tackle Enrique to the floor. If only Robert wasn't present… the arrogant Italian boy was certainly asking for a good beating. Oh how he'd love to wipe that smug smirk off his face and give him a black eye…

"That was a one-off and you know it!"

"Only a weak blader would fail to control their bitbeast."

Enrique climbed to his feet. Before he could speak another word, Robert intervened yet again, rising up from his chair. "Jonathan, please leave," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. He didn't even look at him when he issued the order.

"What?" Johnny repeated.

Robert sighed. "Please return to the hotel you are staying at. I will summon you when required."

Was this really happening? Had Robert just sent him _away_ but not Enrique? "The fuck?"

He didn't miss the visible cringe on Robert's face when the word left his mouth. Robert didn't like such words. To him, profanity was vulgar and only used by the uneducated or the lower class. "Leave at once. Don't make me ask you again." Still not even a glance in his direction. An even larger crowd had amassed. One person was even taking photos.

He hated them all. Every. Single. One. He was no stranger to being in the spotlight, but this? This was something else. He was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Tomorrow's headlines would now read, 'Majestics – Split Inevitable After Public Meltdown?' He felt hot all of a sudden, as if his insides were burning. "Fuck you, Robert!" Johnny retorted, flipping his middle finger as a big 'fuck you'. "Fuck you too, Enrique! Fuck this bull shit about 'being a team' because we're not!"

Well, he had done it now. Given the public a reason to talk. He wouldn't be surprised to see his photo all over Bey Network tomorrow with lame captions beneath them. Maybe it was a good thing Oliver had gone into hiding. At least he didn't have to witness this. But why stop now? It wasn't like he could rewind the clock and go back in time. Maybe he was acting like a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum, but he was past the point of caring now.

"Jonathan…" Robert started.

"Just shut up! Shut the fuck up! I don't wanna hear another one of your lame lectures on being an upstanding citizen! I don't answer to you – or anyone else for that matter! The Majestics competing as a team for the tournament is just a dream, Robert. I'm done with this shit." Blood pounding in his head, Johnny turned his back and stormed off. As he retreated, he caught the following conversation:

"Seems someone skipped anger management class again."

"Jonathon never attended such classes."

Silence then,

"Are you just going to let him walk?"

"Let him be."

Stanley Dickinson wouldn't be the only one making headlines around the world.

.

Thanks to Desires of Autumn Leaves for reviewing the previous chapters! I know this story has been up before, but if you are reading it again, or are new, I hope you're happy to see it here.


	5. The End is Nigh

**Chapter Four: The End is Nigh**

Falling. Forever falling. No walls. No light. Just blackness. Like falling into the abyss and being consumed by blackness. So cold. So bleak. Alone. Forever alone. And silence. Not a single sound aside from his own breaths. Where is everyone? How did he end up here? Where was he? "Hello?" he called out into the darkness, hearing his own voice repeat several times over. "Is anyone else here?"

No other response other than his own voice repeating the words back. Frowning, he took a few steps forward, keeping one hand resting on his bey launcher. A dream. It had to be a dream. The real world didn't look like this. As he moved forward, he felt invisible tendrils wrap around his legs, but they did not hinder his movements.

 _Come closer._

He stopped. "Hello?" he said. Someone had spoken, yet he could not see anyone. He looked to his left and right, but all he could see was blackness. What if it was coming from above? Craning his neck back, he observed the 'sky'. Nothing but blackness either. Perhaps he was finally going mad after all these years.

 _Let me get a look at you… Stand still. Hmmm… You're not the one. One of them, yes, but not the right one._

Somewhat disturbed, Ozuma remained still, not daring himself to move a mere inch. Surely, this had to be a dream? A very realistic one, but a dream nonetheless. Someone was speaking to him, getting inside his head. A vision? He hadn't experienced one of those since the second world tournament. Why would they be starting up again? A warning of things to come?

"Who are you? Why are you in my head?" Ozuma called out.

 _I thought the Champion might be able to hear me… but it appears not. Nevermind. But you can. You can help me._

"I don't even know what you are!" This was getting weird.

 _How about now?_

Ozuma examined his surroundings. Still nothing but blackness. He wasn't sure what he was even supposed to be looking for. A human? A talking animal? A bitbeast? Or something else entirely? All that he knew was that this dream was unlike anything else he had ever experienced. He found it unsettling. What would the Elders think? Would they see it as a sign of madness?

A cold wave poured through his body. It started from his head then made its way down to his feet. It was like his insides were suddenly made of ice. How odd. That's when he saw it. A pair of eyes looking down at him. Reptilian in shape with orbs a shade of gold, and large in size. One eye was the size of a single human. It wasn't the eyes that caught his attention – it was the teeth. Two rows of dagger-like teeth on the bottom, designed to tear and cut, and two on the top. He was reminded of a shark.

His eyes widened. "What… What are you?"

The creature seemed to smile if one could even call it that. _For centuries, I have been locked away because they thought of me as dangerous. Who is 'they'? The four sacred bitbeasts. That should sound familiar to you._

Driger, Dranzer, Draciel and Dragoon. The four most powerful creatures to ever appear in a beyblade match. A couple of years ago he had tried to seal them away, believing them to be evil, but Tyson and his friends proved him wrong. They were able to show they could be trusted with the four sacred bitbeasts. But this creature seemed to think otherwise.

"What do you want from me? Why do you appear to me in a dream?"

The creature laughed. Well, at least that's what Ozuma thought it was. It was a deep thundering sound that revibrated throughout whatever place he was in. _You're one of the rare people that can hear me. Someone that receives visions._

"I haven't received any visions for a long time."

 _That's because they come from me. You failed me, Ozuma, so I turned my attention towards someone else. A child prodigy… but he too failed in the end. But I can't find anyone else so I'm relaying messages to you again. Tell them all – the beast will return. The end is nigh. Can you do that for me?_

Ozuma frowned. The creature was serious about it despite the playful tone in his voice. "Why… Why would I want to do that?" He was a messenger for some dark reptile that appeared to him in dreams? That wasn't comforting.

 _Because you'll die if you don't._

Before Ozuma could make sense of what was just said, the creature opened its mouth and lunged. He couldn't move his legs. The tendrils held onto him, keeping him in place. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Only death awaited him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he braced himself for a swift end. The creature's jaws descended on him. He screamed.

.

"The world still in shock over the unexpected death of Stanley Dickinson," Rei read aloud, glancing down at the big bold headline on today's paper. There was a picture of the man smiling in the photo beneath the title as well as a long report over the details of his murder. There was even a few paragraphs about the man's life outside beyblading. Disgusted, he put the paper down. "They speak of him as if they truly cared."

"People are shocked, Rei. It's not every day you hear of a big name being murdered in your hometown," Max replied form the seat across the table. They were currently visiting one of the quieter cafes in town. "It's been a few days and I still can't get over it. All I can think of is 'why?' Why Stanley? What did he ever do that made someone want to end his life?"

Rei shrugged. "Your guess is as a good as mine – I don't know."

"You think the tournament will even go ahead?"

Without Stanley at the top, how could the event even begin? Stanley was the brains behind it all. Who else would step up and take the role of chairmen? Would anyone even be willing after what happened to Stanley? "This could be the end of the BBA. Stepping into Stanley's role would just feel unsafe." What was once the most coveted job in the world was now the one no one wanted.

Max grabbed the paper and flipped it over. "I don't want to hear about it anymore. It's too depressing to be reminded of his death every hour of the day." He looked up. "How are things with you, Rei?"

"Same as always, Max. Adapting to a life after professional blading." It was hard. Every time he visited the children in the parks, he was reminded of his biggest battles. It made him wish he hadn't publicly come forth with his retirement, but staying made no sense. What else did he have to prove? "How are you coping? Any girlfriends?"

He shook his head. "No. What about you?"

"You're thinking of Mariah, aren't you?"

Max nodded. "I always thought you too were close. I remember in the first tournament Mariah waited by your bedside after you were injured during the match against Bryan. It was hard to get her out of the room."

He smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like Mariah." His smile faltered. "You know, everyone back in the village always thought Mariah and I would someday become husband and wife." He wasn't quite sure where those thoughts came from since he didn't actually harbour any romantic feelings for the girl. Why was it that people misconstrued friendliness as a sign of romance?

"But you don't love her, do you?"

"Mariah's a nice girl with a golden heart, but I don't love her, and I never have." He glanced down where his beyblade was and sighed. Beyblading had always been his number one love. The only girl that had ever come close to capturing his heart was Salima, but she was long gone. The girl probably didn't even blade anymore. "Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we hadn't become professional bladers?"

Max brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it, looking thoughtful. "I've never really thought hard about it, but I suppose I'd be helping my dad run the hobby store. I was never particularly good at all the science stuff my mum was interested in. What about you? What do you think you'd be doing now if you weren't a blader?"

"A chef," he answered. "Didn't have much of a chance to cook in my village, but when I left home, I visited my uncle. He taught me the basics of cooking and thought I'd make a fine chef one day. Of course, that didn't turn out, but I love to cook when I get the chance. I was actually thinking of starting my own business." Which had seemed like a good idea up until the mysterious assassination of Stanley Dickinson.

"But you're thinking against it now because of recent events."

He nodded. "Yeah. It seems too much of a risk to take right now."

The waitress arrived a few moments later carrying two iced chocolates. One had a cream on it, and the other without. Max took the one with the cream on it and started scooping it with his spoon. Rei watched him eat, feeling a bit sick to the stomach, watching devour the cream, as if it was the last edible item on the planet. It took Max several seconds to finish off the cream, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his right hand to remove the last traces of it, looking somewhat guilty.

"That was fast."

Max flashed him a toothy grin. "It's the food of champions."

Rei chuckled. "You know I'm glad that we still have a chance to hang out together. I kinda missed that when I was with the White Tigers."

"Same here. The All Stars are good friends, but there was just… something missing." He lifted his glass and brought the rim to his lips, arched his neck back a little and skulled down half of his drink. Either Max had been really thirsty or he really liked iced chocolates. Once done, he pushed it to the centre of the table. "With the Bladebreakers, I feel like I'm at my best. I don't know what it is, but representing the Bladebreakers makes me want to fight harder."

"Like giving it a thousand percent instead of one hundred percent, right?"

Max nodded. "Yeah."

Rei reached for his iced chocolate, but didn't even manage to touch the glass when a beyblade hit the table with enough force that Max's glass fell over the side and onto the floor. The anonymous blade sped away from the table, speeding down the street. "What the heck was that?" Rei exclaimed, rising to his feet, glancing in the direction the blade had come from. He then looked down at Max. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, stretching out his arms in front of him, checking for any signs of damage. No cuts at least. He rose to his feet, hand dropping to his right pocket where his blade was kept. "We need to clear everyone out."

Rei looked towards the waitress. Her eyes were wide. "Listen, you need to get everyone inside where it's safe. Call the police and don't come outside until they arrive, all right? Can you do that?" She nodded. "I know you're afraid, but you have to be strong." She nodded again. Satisfied, Rei turned back to Max.

"Draciel ready for some action?"

"He's always ready."

Rei pulled out his blade, and dug his free hand into his opposite pocket, pulling out his ripcord and launcher. He loaded his blade, took aim at the café's roof then yanked back on the cord, sending forth his blade into the air. Driger landed on the roof and spun around in a circle waiting for its next command. Draciel landed on the ground. "Let's go."

Breaking into a jog, Rei and Max followed Draciel through the streets. Fortunately, this part of town was quiet and there weren't too many obstacles in their path. They turned a corner into a deserted alleyway. Empty cans of cheap food and wine bottles littered the ground. There was even graffiti on the walls though Rei couldn't quite make out what the words were supposed to read. Draciel sped down the alleyway joined by Driger, smashing cans and wine bottles. The blades parted ways at the end, searching the eastern and western paths.

Rei and Max came to a halt. "I think we've lost them," Max exclaimed, bending over, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"We're being watched."

Max straightened. "You don't think whoever was behind Stanley's murder is after us as well?"

"Unless they just wanted our attention. Maybe they wanted us to see something though I don't know what it could be." He searched the alleyway, looking for a clue that would explain why they had been led down here, but all he could see was bottles and cans. No paper notes stuck to the walls nor anything on the ground. A mystery.

Max looked at the graffiti on the wall. The letters were in blue and white with a black outline, but the font was hard to decipher. Also, Rei found the colours quite distracting, making it harder for him to make out what the letters were trying to say. Max tilted his head to the side, his brows furrowed. "The end is nigh," he read, as both Driger and Draciel returned.

"How can you read that?"

"Rick came from the streets. He told me all about graffiti writing."

So the burly blader had his uses after all. "The end is nigh. What is that supposed to mean?"

Max pulled his gaze away and looked at Rei, troubled. "I think we should visit Tyson. Kenny might be around and he could help us understand it better." He dug a hand into his other pocket and pulled out his took, taking a quick snapshot of the writing. "Let's go."

.

There was no other place quite like home. Mariah and her brother had returned to the White Tiger Hills to pay their grandfather a visit. It had been months since they last returned, and Lee figured it could be quite some time before they had another chance to visit home. The village itself was based in the mountains far away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It was the perfect place for training as there were no distractions. No computers. No video gaming consoles. No electricity. Everything out here had to be done in the traditional methods of their ancestors, and she believed that gave her team a stronger mental edge in battles. Those who didn't understand this claimed they were 'old-fashioned' and a little 'backwards', but Mariah never let those comments get to her. Without their unique background, she doubted they would even be in the top blading teams in the world.

There was something relaxing about being surrounded by the wilderness. Something beautiful. Something you couldn't get by living in the city. They had peace here in the hills. Every morning she'd wake up to the sounds of bird song. In the evening, she'd have the best view of the sun dipping below the horizon. When she needed time to herself, she visited the waterfall and listened to the soothing sounds of water. It certainly beat anything the city could offer.

"Grandfather needs to speak with you about something," Lee said, walking towards the main wooden cabin.

"You know about it?"

He nodded. "I've heard bits and pieces, but I don't know the fine details."

The cabin was in the centre of the village marked by a single mailbox. As they neared the building, she spotted a two young children run past, chasing after an out of control beyblade. She smiled to herself. The next generation of bladers of the White Tiger tribe. She remembered spending countless hours struggling to get her blade right. It wasn't until Rei took over her training that she finally mastered the basics of blading.

"Go on in," Lee said, pushing open the door. "I'll wait outside."

Mariah walked through the door and closed it. The cabin was small. No bigger than a typical children's bedroom in a house in the city. It was also quite simple. No table. No bed. Just a mattress on the floor, a photo of the team on the eastern wall, and a couple of books. It was hard to believe she had spent most of the life here in the village with the most basic of items.

"Grandfather, you wanted to speak with me?"

The old man was sitting on the middle of the floor, his legs crossed, and arms folded over his chest. The man was in his last few years of life. It had become more difficult for him to walk, and carry out basic tasks, but his mind was as sharp as ever. He smiled and motioned for her to sit down across from him. She did as directed, and sat down cross-legged.

"It's good to see you again, Mariah."

"And it's good to see you too, grandfather."

"I wanted to speak with you about the future. About the future of this tribe."

She raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"You know that I am nearing the end of my days, and I want you and Lee to carry on my legacy."

"We won't disappoint you."

"That includes carrying on the line," he said.

She raised her other brow. "Come again?"

He cleared his throat. "You've achieved a lot in the past few years, Mariah. The White Tigers are known throughout the world as one of the best teams thanks to your efforts. But not only that, you've kept the team together. You've reminded them of what teamwork and friendship is all about. You've keep the spirit of the White Tiger alive, and that is why I have arranged for you to marry Rei."

Wait. Marriage? She was only eighteen years of age, and her grandfather was speaking of marriage? Maybe his mind wasn't that sharp after all. "But the world tournament. I want to compete."

"And that is fine. This marriage won't take place until after this year."

She forced a laugh. "Marriage?" she repeated. Marry Rei? She might've had a crush on him (what girl didn't?) when she was a young girl, but those feelings had long since gone, and she was certain he felt the same way. "I'm eighteen, grandfather."

"It's tradition."

Her thoughts drifted to Mystel. Marrying Rei meant she'd have to stop communicating with him. She'd have to cut him out of her life forever because a disloyalty was frowned upon. A wife of the White Tiger tribe had to be completely devoted to her husband. She was not allowed to spend time with other men unless her husband was in the room as well.

"You can't ask this of me."

The man frowned. "I am not asking this of you. It had already been decided the day you were born."

The marriage had already been organized for that long? Did that mean… did that mean Rei had been was forced to become her personal trainer at a young age as a way of bringing them closer together? "You can't just… do that," she replied, feeling her stomach churn.

"But Mariah, it's Rei. You've always liked Rei. As a young girl, you said you were going to marry Rei," he said, frowning, as if he couldn't understand why Mariah was upset.

"That was a long time ago, grandfather. People change. Feelings change."

His frown remained. "It doesn't have anything to do with that boy, Mystel does it?"

"Wh-what?" He knew about that? Mystel had only visited the White Tiger Hills just once.

"Your brother told me."

She narrowed her eyes, her shock fading, replaced by a growing sense of irritation. Of course Lee would intervene and tell their grandfather about the blond from BEGA. Anything to discourage her from seeing Mystel. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _Keep calm, Mariah,_ she told herself. _You'll get a chance to speak to him later._

"I do not want to discourage you from having friends, Mariah, but he is not one of us."

"I can't believe you," she said. "You're arranging my marriage without even checking with me to see if it's okay! What if I don't want to marry, Rei?"

"Then I will have no choice but to disown you. You will not be recognized as a member of the White Tiger tribe. It will be like you never even existed," he replied calmly. "Please Mariah, don't be difficult. It's Rei you are to marry. He is a good man, and he'll make a fine husband to you."

She wanted to barf, but fought back the urge to do so. He didn't even care. Her own grandfather didn't care about what she wanted. He was thinking of the future of the tribe, and his family line, but not about the wishes of his own grandchildren. But she couldn't refuse. How could she? Refusing and running away would only banish her from the tribe.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," she said, rising to her feet. Before he could get in another word, Mariah left the cabin, relieved to have gotten out. If she stayed in there for a few moments longer, she knew she'd say something she'd later regret. Lee was outside waiting. He smiled at her, but she didn't return it.

"Mariah? What's the matter?"

"Why do you hate him so much?" she demanded.

He frowned. "Who?"

"Mystel!" she blurted. Several heads in the village turned. "He did nothing to you and yet you hate him. He's my friend, Lee. You can't stop me from being friends with someone." Fortunately, they were wise enough to keep distance. That was one another thing she liked about her people – your privacy was considered special. In the city, people would intervene at random, but that was considered rude here.

Lee brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed it. "Because he's not good for you, Mariah. I'm looking out for you, trying to protect you like an older brother should."

Placing a hand on her hip, she said, "What? Because he was part of the BEGA League and served Boris for some time? He didn't even know anything about the man, and only joined because it was something new to him." If Mystel had known about Boris beforehand, she doubted he'd join.

"How could anyone not know about Boris? It was global news, Mariah! The entire world knew about it! He's known as the world's greatest criminal mastermind!"

True. Fair point raised but Mystel had been on the road for a long time. She doubted he bothered to read the local paper in the towns, and had a hard time picturing him sitting down inside a café reading the paper. He also didn't carry a handheld device that could access the internet. He seemed like the type to enjoy the simple things in life.

"Well, he didn't know."

"That might be so, but it doesn't change the fact that he worked for Boris. When Boris's true intentions were revealed, he still stayed. Have you forgotten what Boris did all those years ago? Look what he did to the Demolition Boys! Look at what happened to Kai! Look what he did to all the teams who had their bitbeasts stolen!" He lowered his voice and sighed again. "I'm just saying Mariah, you can't trust someone who worked for Boris."

"I appreciate you trying to look after me, Lee, but I'm not a little girl anymore, Lee. I can handle myself, and that means choosing who I want to spend time with." She bit down on her bottom lip, feeling tears threatening to spill. It was something she had never been able to control well. When faced with conflict, the tears would always threaten to spill. "It may be hard for you to understand, but people do change."

"Mari-"

She raised a hand, extending the palm towards him. "I don't want to hear it. I want to go back home. Our other home. We have a tournament to focus on."

His shoulders slumped. Maybe she had been a little too harsh on him, but he'd understand. Siblings always fought. Sometimes, a bit of conflict was good. Lee was as stubborn as a mule, but in a few days he'd come to realize he didn't need to protect her. "All right. We'll return home."

.

"Ozuma!"

He was sitting on his bed, his hands gripping the white sheets, his face ashen white. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and he was breathing in deeply, almost as if he had been sprinting. Mariam rushed to his side. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, startled.

"It's just me, Mariam. What's gotten into you?"

"Just… a dream," he said slowly. "A dream."

She waved a hand in his face, concerned. The last time she had seen him like this was when he was just a young boy of eight years old. That had been the first time he first received a vision about capturing the sacred bitbeasts and sealing them up for eternity. It was that vision alone that motivated him into becoming a blader.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Try as she might, sensitivity wasn't her thing. In moments like these, a better person than herself would check on her friend to see if he was all right. But that wasn't her style. Being the only female in her tribe taught her to be tough and show no feelings if she wanted to be respected by the men. "Seriously. You're as white as the sheets you are holding. That must've been one heck of a dream."

He released the sheets then looked at her. She saw fear and uncertainty in his eyes. "I need to speak with the Elders." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and picked himself up then started making his way towards the doorway.

Mariam wasn't having any of that. No way did Ozuma walk out of this room without explaining what was on his mind first. She stepped in front of his path, folded her arms across her chest, and glared. "What's going on? Why do you need to speak with the Elders?"

He drew in a deep breath then sighed. "I can't tell you, Mariam."

"And why not? We're teammates, Ozuma. We made a promise we'd tell each other everything."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're going to play that card on me? We've been through everything together, Ozuma." She stabbed him in the chest. "We followed you blindly in your quest to seal the sacred bitbeasts. We believed in you despite you giving us no reason to. We're not just teammates, Ozuma. We're more than just friends. We are of the same tribe and that makes us family. Families don't keep secrets. So, you tell me what's bothering you right now, or I will get Dunga in here to sing until you can't take it anymore," she threatened.

The scary thing about that is Dunga would sing and recite bad poetry until the desired goal was achieved. Dunga might've looked big and tough, but deep down he was really just a big softie. He was the emotional one in the tribe. Ozuma raised both his eyebrows. At least the colour in his face was returning now. "You're not serious?"

She nodded. "You know as well as I do Dunga will do everything I say." She had power over him, and the man was eager to please. Her brother often teased him about having a crush on Mariam, and that's why he was so willing to carry out her demands, but Mariam wasn't so sure. But then again, she wasn't the brightest when it came to matters of the heart. Such things were unimportant in her quest to become a strong blader.

Ozuma sighed. "It's happening again. Visions of a future."

"What did you see?"

"This beast… some overgrown reptile. Said the end was nigh. Mentioned the four sacred bitbeasts."

One of those visions. Visions the Elders didn't agree with, but did nothing to discourage him. It was because of these visions they had become bladers in the first place. It was so they could be strong enough to seal the bitbeasts up. "They're not evil, Ozuma. We've been down that road again, and I don't really want to repeat that."

"This creature thinks they're bad… He said he was locked up."

"And you believe that?

Ozuma frowned. "I don't know what to believe. That's why I want to speak with the Elders. Maybe they might know something about this… dream of mine." Mariam tilted her head, studying his features closely. He was still somewhat pale, but the colour was returning to his face. Ozuma wasn't disturbed by much, but this recent dream of his had shaken him. "I've never seen a creature like that before. It has to be a bitbeast. I don't see what else it could be."

"And it's talking to you specifically?"

He nodded. "He said I was one of the rare few people who could hear his thoughts."

"People who receive visions of the future then. That makes you and…"

"Brooklyn."

Right. She knew the name. An attractive boy with psychopathic tendencies. Why was it always the good-looking ones that were batshit insane? "Yeah, I remember him. He almost destroyed the world last year."

"I need to find him. Maybe… maybe he knows more about this. Maybe he's been seeing the same thing himself, but we need to speak with the Elders first. We can't leave without their permission."

They could, but Ozuma didn't like breaking the rules. The Elders lived in a remote village somewhere near the base of the Alps. According to Ozuma, leaving without permission would anger them and it would result in losing their place among the Saint Shields tribe. Mariam personally didn't care. They were living in modern times now. Besides, she wasn't a young girl anymore. The Elders had no power over her, but she didn't dare go against Ozuma's wishes.

"All right. We'll look for the Elders. We're going to have to stop by the city first. Joseph and Dunga are buying doughnuts. He told me they'd be waiting near Oliver's café," she said. In other words, Majestics territory. The rich team of uptight bladers who had so much money they even had their own bey-stadium. "You think we'll get a chance to see the infamous Majestics roaming around the streets?"

"Why? Did you want their autograph?"

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "No, I just want to see if they are as good as the fans claim them to be." She turned around and headed out into the hallway. "Come on slowpoke. Let's get moving. Leaving Dunga and my brother alone in the city for a few hours could be disastrous." Knowing Dunga, he'd probably create scene in public.

"Lead the way, Mariam."

.

Is anyone still reading this? I don't even know. This is a re-upload so I guess the interest just isn't there.


	6. Unanswered Questions

Thanks to blitzkriegboysbop and Desires of Autumn Leaves for reviewing the last chapter

.

 **Chapter Five: Unanswered Questions**

To turn his back on the BBA, the company that was responsible for making him the blader he is. It was hard to understand why Kai had suggested it – the very idea was foolish! Betray the BBA to save his own hide? That wasn't the way the Bladebreakers did things. Never turn your back on an enemy. Don't show any signs of weakness. Surely, it had to be some cruel joke?

If it had come from anyone else he might've shrugged it off and ignored their advice. But it had come from Kai, the person least likely to make a joke about a situation like this. He believed coming forth and announcing to the public they no longer supported the BBA was the only way to protect them from harm. With the media no longer following their every move, they'd have a chance to strike back at the threat.

But what did it mean for the tournament? Without the BBA's support, how was he supposed to defend his title? Quitting would only prove he was scared. Sighing, he dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out his blade, examining the bitchip. "What do you think I should do, Dragoon?" Tyson said aloud.

No immediate response. He sighed again. Not that it really mattered much. Dragoon would tell him it was something that he had to decide himself, and not be influenced by anyone else. Sighing again, he put his blade away and looked up. A pink and orange hue stretched across the normally blue sky. Night would soon be upon them, and that's when the nerves would surface.

Did these mysterious assailants have a base someplace within the city? Were they locals or foreigners? Why would they attack now of all times? Why not in an earlier tournament? What was so special about this year? What exactly had Stanley Dickinson done to the world to deserve such a death? So many questions, but each one had no answer.

He was standing in the exact same place Stanley had died. The stage was still there waiting to be examined by the experts. "I don't know what to do," he said, speaking to the ground, as if the man was buried there. "You made me who I am today. Without your support, I'd still be that amateur blader hoping to make it big. I wouldn't have been able to travel the world and meet so many great people without you."

Every blader he had crossed paths with had made him a little bit stronger. Every battle taught him something new about himself. Each battle helped him hone the natural skills he had to the next level. It was hard to think of an alternative life. Where would he be now if not for the BBA? He continued to talk to the man as if he were still alive.

"I just need an answer. My heart tells me to stay with the BBA, but my head says otherwise. I don't know who targeted you and why, but my friend, Kai, thinks the BBA and allies are being targeted. He believes if we pretend to distance ourselves from you that'll protect us from harm, giving us some time to fight back. But… it feels wrong. It doesn't feel like the right action to take."

His words were obviously falling on deaf ears, but it brought him some brief respite. Just having the chance to voice his fears out aloud lessened the worries gripping his stomach. He was torn. Torn for his loyalty towards the BBA. Torn towards his loyalty towards his friends, the people who had been at his side since the beginnings of the BBA. Refusing Kai's suggestion could bring harm to his friends. One life had already been lost. He didn't want to see more friends join the dead.

"People are scared. There's no one willing to step up and lead the BBA. They're terrified as to what will happen again next. Maybe they're right to be afraid. How do we fight against something we can't even see?" He sighed again, digging a hand into his pocket, reaching for his Dragoon. He found comfort in touching it. "I don't want to be the one to make this decision. It's too big. No matter what course of action I take, someone will hurt, and I will take the blame."

He kneeled down and lowered his head, biting hard on his lower lip to hold the tears at bay. Every time he closed his eyes, he visualized Stanley's death. Despite not being present at the time, it didn't take much imagination to picture a gun being fired and the bullet in Stanley's head. The blood on the bullet. The pool around Stanley's body when he collapsed on the ground. "Why is it that no matter how hard we try, something goes wrong? We try to do what's good for the world, but there's always someone out there that has to spoil it for the rest of us. What's the point in even trying if we're all going to die in the end?"

It was like a vicious cycle, and he was trapped within it, unable to ever break free to taste peace and freedom. Perhaps he was cursed the moment he signed up for the BBA. It can't have been a coincidence that all the bad started happening when his name became known across the world. Some labelled him as a hero, but he was starting to think he was public enemy number one.

Curling his fingers into a fist, Tyson slammed the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was trembling from a mixture of fear, anger and grief. Fear of the unknown. Anger at the ones who were behind Stanley's death. Grief for the man who gave him a chance no one else would. He allowed himself to shed a few more tears, the overwhelming emotions becoming too much.

"I just want an answer. What is the right path to take? Follow my heart and risk losing the ones I love or betray what made me and save those that I care about but have my reputation tainted beyond repair?" Hand still in pocket, Tyson released a surprised gasp when he felt a warmth come from the blade. Dragoon was listening.

 _Tyson._

"Dragoon?"

 _Your heart is heavy with burden._

"I'm conflicted, Dragoon. I don't know… what to do…"

 _You do know. You've been doing it all your life. Standing up for what's right even if it's an unpopular decision._

Refusing BEGA's offer was the first one that came to mind. Refusing to give up on Kai during the Demolition Boy's reign of terror was another. Most people would've taken the popular decision, but not Tyson. "This is different, Dragoon. I wouldn't be anything without the BBA."

 _Turning your back on them now doesn't mean you've closed the doors forever._

"What do you think I should do?"

 _I can't make that decision for you, Tyson, but I will always support you, no matter what path you choose to take._

Drawing in a deep breath, Tyson wiped the tears away. Stanley would not want him kneeling. Kai would be most displeased and probably be embarrassed that he lost to him if he saw him like this. Rei and Max would be a little more understanding but they too would expect him to be strong. He was the blader all bladers wanted to be. The one to make the tough decisions when needed.

He glanced down at the murder spot again then rose to his feet. "I'm not doing this because I want to… but because I have to. I know you'd understand, but I can't… won't let other people suffer. I promise I will find those who harmed you, and I will put an end to them. It won't bring you back, but at least justice will be served."

.

Mystel sat down on the chair, staring at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts. He was at the bowling alley with his teammates again, but he was barely paying attention to his surroundings. All he could think about was Mariah and why she hadn't texted back. Normally, she'd sent him a few texts a day for random conversation, but today? There was nothing. Had something gone wrong on the flight to China?

"Hey Mystel – Mystel? – hello? Earth to blondie, are you there?"

Mystel broke out of his thoughts and looked up. Ming Ming was looking down at him, waving a hand in his face, her features concerned. "Don't call me blondie."

"So you are with us after all. I was going to tell Brooklyn to throw some water at your face to wake you up from whatever you were daydreaming about." She brought a hand forward. In her hand was a large plastic clear cup with a yellow straw. "Garland brought some of his homemade smoothie stuff along."

Ah, so that's why there was an esky there. He was wondering what reason there was for having an esky inside the bowling alley. The place did sell drinks. He accepted the drink from Ming Ming and took a sip. Mango flavour. Ming Ming knew him well. She sat down beside him. "What's going on, Mystel? It's not normally like you to not pay attention."

"Pondering the meaning of life," he replied, no sarcasm intended. "Look at us. Look at what we've become. There was a time people wanted to be like us, and now the entire world would be happy to watch us burn." He then snorted. "I don't know what's worse – the lives we lived before or the lives we live now."

Ming Ming furrowed her brows, hands resting on her lap. "It's like we no longer exist anymore. My sales have plummeted. Only the diehard fans purchase my recordings now."

"And I'm back to being unknown."

"I thought you preferred it that way?"

He forced a dry laugh. "I used to think being unknown was a good thing, but once you've had a taste of fame…"

"It's nice to be appreciated, isn't it?" she said, finishing his sentence. "To have people look up to you and want to be like you. I remember people used to come to my signings with merchandise. It made them all so happy to have my signature on it. It was a nice feeling. And now? It's all gone. No one cares anymore."

"All because Boris was revealed to be a crook, and Brooklyn had to go and lose his mind, tearing apart the stadium in the process." One big childish tantrum, but in his defense, Brooklyn had never known what it was like to have lost at something. It was such a foreign experience to him that it made him lash out in anger.

"You can't hate him for it, Mystel. What happened was out of anyone's control."

"I just wonder… do you think we should've tried harder at reaching out to him beforehand?" Not that anyone should be taking any advice from himself, but perhaps a crisis could have been averted if they had acted like a true team. "The Bladebreakers… the White Tigers… What they have with each other isn't something that we have."

"Complete trust in each other, and full support no matter the result."

He nodded. Many people often assumed Ming Ming was just some empty-headed pop star, but she was a lot smarter than what people gave her credit for. "On the plus side, at least no one wants to start a fight with us." Because they knew they wouldn't be able to compete on the same level. The only team that he considered worthy opponents was the Bladebreakers, but they had disbanded. Only Tyson remained to compete.

There was silence then Ming Ming stood up. "It's my turn to bowl next. I'm so close to overtaking Garland. Wish me luck. I'd love to see the disappointment on his face when I win."

"All the best Ming Ming. I know you can do it."

She smiled, then walked away to replace Garland. He wasn't alone for very long when Brooklyn took Ming Ming's spot. "You've got that expression on your face that reads, 'she didn't text me. Whatever shall I do with my life?"

"I don't have time for your jokes, Brooklyn." To think this was the same guy who almost single-handedly destroyed the world last year. "Why don't you just go back to the game or something?"

Brooklyn pouted. "You're breaking my heart, Mystel. I wanted to check up on you. You're oddly quiet today and that's worrisome." Was that actual concern in his tone? It was hard to tell with Brooklyn whether he was being serious or not. Even if he was, he seemed to have a natural talent in making every sentence sound sarcastic. What a skilled person he was. "Wait – let me guess. It's that girl with the pink hair, right?"

"Her name is Mariah."

"Rei's former flame, yeah?"

"Rei and Mariah were never an item."

"Oh, I must've misread the signals then. Can't blame me, really. Hard to keep track of all the drama going on around us."

"What exactly is your point, Brooklyn, if you even have one?"

"You might have trouble believing me, but I speak as a concerned teammate and friend. Mariah isn't worth your time. She's only going to make life difficult for you, and it can't get any worse than the shit storm we're already in." He pointed to the bowling lanes. "Look at us. We're bowling for Zeus's sake! We should be out there practicing, but we don't have the financial support to compete in the tournament. This is what we do now to pass the time."

"And?"

He threw his hands up in the air and gave a frustrated sigh. "She's not worth the extra baggage, Mystel. Ditch her before you become too invested in her. She comes from a traditional tribe, yes? Do you really think her people have you in their sights, especially after what happened last year?"

Surely, Mariah would fight against the teachings of her tribe? She fought for what mattered to her. She wouldn't end her friendship with him for the sake of keeping her people happy. Would she? He frowned. "You don't know that for certain."

"You underestimate me, Mystel. I'm more observant than you think. I've heard people say losing is tough, but nothing is more painful than a broken heart. We're only managing to hang on here. If you fall off the radar then what becomes of the rest of us?"

"You are full of wisdom today," he said curtly, not at all pleased with the current direction this conversation was taking. Brooklyn was no fool. He said what was on his mind even if his words were blunt and direct, and often he was more right than wrong. But Mariah… She wouldn't abandon him for the sake of her tribe. She was old enough now to look out for herself, surely?

Brooklyn shrugged, not at all phased by Mystel's sarcastic remark. "You hate me now, but you'll thank me in due time." He stood up. "You might not want to skip your turn again or you'll get the loser award for the month, and you know what the entails – being stuck with the chores." He walked over to join the rest of the group.

At this point, he didn't care about being the loser of the month. Losing Mariah permanently would be so much worse. But what if Brooklyn was correct? What if the smart-mouthed ginger blader was right about this? What if Mariah remained loyal to her tribe instead? The only part he missed about the life before BEGA was the stress free lifestyle. Now he had this to worry about.

"Mystel – it's your turn," Garland called out.

Placing his smoothie on the bench, Mystel rose to his feet and walked over to the lane. At least it would provide a temporary distraction from the thoughts Brooklyn had just implanted in his mind.

.

Michael hated Emily. He couldn't even describe how much he despised the girl. She was always on his back, complaining about something that she believed he had done, as if he were some idiot incapable of doing anything right. He wasn't the highest scoring student around, but he was far from stupid. His grade score was just above average – Judy didn't recruit underperforming bladers. It wasn't his fault Emily had a bigger brain than everyone else.

Now he was in Judy's office with Emily. Emily had her arms folded. She refused to meet his eyes. Michael rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his the leather office chair. Judy sat behind the table, her expression unreadable. "Now… what was the cause of this nonsense?"

"My laptop was working fine yesterday. I tried to turn it on after lunch today, but it wouldn't power up," Emily explained, then looked sideways at him. "I left it in the living room. Michael, Eddy and Steve were playing some stupid game. Michael probably carried out some dare and played around with my laptop without my consent."

Michael glowered. "For the last time, I didn't touch your laptop! I have better things to do than play with your belongings," he snapped back.

"Such as what? Play video games?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"There's a tournament coming up. I don't see how playing video games makes you a better blader."

"How would you know? You've never even tried."

"I wouldn't waste my time. I'd rather be doing something productive."

Michael rolled his eyes again and threw his hands up in the air. "See what I have to put up? She's unbelievable!" he exclaimed. "She doesn't even care about blading, so I don't see why she's still on the team!" Perhaps that was taking things a little too far, but he didn't care. Emily thought herself superior to everyone else, and acted like she was in charge of the team.

"I'm on the team because I'm responsible for recording all the data. If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be able to track our progress," she fired back. "I don't see how _you_ are contributing to the team, Michael. I may not be the strongest blader, but I'm doing something for us at least!"

Judy raised her hands before either party could get in another word. "This is ridiculous," she said. "We are a professional team, and I expect you to behave like you're part of one. This bickering has to stop or both of you will be forced to forfeit your positions on the team."

Emily's mouth dropped open. "You can't do that, Judy!"

Even Michael was surprised. That was a serious threat. "You can't be serious. We're the best that you've got."

Judy's expression hardened. "We've been training bladers for years now. You are not irreplaceable. If you value the team as highly as you claim to then you will learn to cooperate. Is that understood?"

When she put it like that, Michael could not see how he could argue with logic. She had brought in Rick after all, and although he hated to admit it, Rick was a talented blader. He was a little rough around the edges, but thanks to Max's efforts, the man mountain had softened up. He could now last a day without wanting to punch Rick in the face. That was a major improvement.

"Understood," Emily said.

"Yeah, I get it," he said. Great. Now he _had_ to cooperate with Emily or get booted off the team. How was he supposed to remain civil with her when he felt a surge of annoyance every time she opened her mouth? "What else is new, Judy?" Aside from the death of Stanley Dickinson of course, but he wasn't too concerned. He didn't know the man on a personal level to care.

"I've got a meeting to attend to on Christmas Eve."

Emily arched a brow. "That's an odd day for a meeting. I thought you would be meeting your son and former partner for an eve dinner?"

Judy shook her head. "No… This is important."

More important than reuniting with her family she didn't see very often. No wonder people often found Judy to have a cold exterior. "I'm leaving you in charge, Emily. You'll have to direct the staff. We're on stage four of the new beyblade technology, and I think another week or two, it will be ready for testing."

Emily nodded, pleased. Just exactly the news he wanted to hear. Emily in charge. It would make her already big head even bigger. "What do you want the rest of us to do then, Judy? Kiss the ground Emily walks on?"

Emily glowered. She opened her mouth to protest, but Judy silenced her with a glare. "Michael, remember, cooperation. I am not joking about this. I want you and the boys to train some of the upcoming bladers. It'll keep your skills in shape. You boys lost a year because of the rulings last year… Here's your chance to make up for lost time."

Being replaced by Rick and Max hadn't exactly been his idea of a good time. They went from being the American powerhouses to cheerleaders. Any chance to take back some dignity would be good. Perhaps they could even reclaim some of that respect their team had lost during the Rick era. "Who are we battling against then?"

"Do you remember Tony and Andy, the newest recruits?"

"The artist and the DJ wannabe?" Michael replied.

Judy nodded. "They've reached level three now. They're much stronger than they were. I'd like you to train against them."

How insulting. Pitting them against trainees. Judy must've thought they were getting rusty if she thought the trainees were on equal level. He snorted. "Fine. I'll get Steve and Eddy. Will Rick be joining in the fun?"

"No."

Of course. After Max, Rick was the favourite. Maybe this is what Judy wanted. A bit of competition between the members. She probably thought it was healthy. The woman was so clueless at times, but how was he supposed to argue with the boss? "Fine."

"They're probably down at the merry-go-round," Emily interjected.

"Thanks for the help, Emily. I doubt I would've found them on my own," he replied sarcastically.

She just smirked. "My pleasure."

"Meeting dismissed."

Both Michael and Emily stood up from their chairs. Together, they left the room, but refused to say even one word. No reason to speak with Emily, and she had no reason to speak with him. They exited the room then parted ways. Emily was heading in the direction of the computer labs, whilst Michael made his way outside.

.

"I never thought I'd see the great Champion on his knees," a voice drawled from behind.

Tyson glanced over his shoulder. A male teenager was standing a few feet away, dressed in a simple tee shirt and grey shorts. He didn't look familiar. "I'm sorry, but you are?"

"I suppose you've spent too much time at the top that you don't even remember the people beneath you, isn't that right, Tyson?" The boy sighed. "I can't say I'm surprised you've forgotten – you and your team forgot about me quickly. The name is Alexander. I was the blader you battled against before the Russian tournament. You made a fool of me, and I was cast aside like I was trash."

Oh, now he remembered. It was the day they had arrived in Russia. The same day they first crossed paths with Boris and his BIOVOLT facility. "We didn't even know where you had been dragged off."

"You didn't even try!" the boy snapped. "I was brought to the dungeon and punished for my failure! For hours I suffered through agonizing pain all because I had lost! You didn't care! Kai didn't care! You never even once tried to find what happened to me! You were all so caught up in your own world that you didn't spare me a thought!"

Tyson narrowed his eyes. "Did you come all this way to speak your mind?"

"When Kai went missing, you searched for him. Why couldn't you have done the same for me?"

Alexander certainly bore a grudge against him. "We had only just arrived, and we knew nothing of BIOVOLT. How were we supposed to know you had suffered?" Was Alexander connected to Stanley's murder in some weird twisted way? Or was he just some angry blader looking for a chance to even the score? "I'm sorry that we didn't do anything. If we could do our time again, we'd search for you as well."

"You can't undo the past, Tyson. What's done is set in stone, and you just have to live with that decision. I wasn't the only blader who suffered. When BIOVOLT was brought down, we were all punished. We had no homes to return to, and so we lived on the streets, freezing. Some of us perished. Those who survived can't function on a normal level anymore because they're traumatized by those events. We have you and your team to thank, Tyson. The BBA brought upon our ruin."

"That's a lie, and you know it. By defeating Boris's team, we saved the world. Voltaire would've had his weapons for war, and we'd all be suffering then. What we did was for the greater good. And again, I'm sorry for the suffering you endured."

Alexander's expression hardened. "It's always the same with you people. We all started at the same level, but you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The BBA picked you up, pulled together a team, and sponsored you to travel from continent to continent. You're not that special, Tyson. If it wasn't for the BBA, you'd be just like me."

Tyson gritted his teeth, annoyed. After many years of silence, now Alexander comes out into the blue just to make a few complaints about how ill-treated he was? "We fought hard to get to where we are now. We saved the world, not once, but three times. That's why we're considered special because we did what no else could do."

"And in your rise to the top, you screwed a bunch of people over. But why would someone with an inflated ego care about the little people, yeah? How many people have hurt along the way? How many hopes and dreams have you crushed with your blade?" Alexander pointed at himself. "People like me! You claim to be a hero, but you're not!"

The boy really held a grudge. Just how much damage had been done against him to make him so sour anyway? There had to be a deeper meaning behind his words. Maybe the boy had lost someone special along the way, and he blamed it on the Bladebreakers. Tyson raised his hands. "I'm not looking for any trouble. There's enough of that going on already."

Alexander drew in a deep breath, as if calming his nerves to control himself. When he spoke again, his voice was calm. "And there's going to be a lot more of that coming your way, Tyson. It's what you and your friends deserve. To have the world pitted against you. You think BEGA was bad? This is so much worse."

He frowned. "Wait – you know who was behind the attack?"

Alexander snickered. "Haven't you listened to a single word I've said? You ruined so many lives. Don't you think people are going to want a little bit of revenge against the BBA? All it took was for someone to make a stand, pull the trigger and end the life of a man who made the Bladebreakers superstars."

Tyson fell silent. So they did have enemies, people specifically targeting the BBA. People most likely envious of the Bladebreakers rise to the top, and couldn't bear the thought of them winning again. They went to such extreme lengths. What would be their next move? But who was 'their'? Was it just one person? Multiple people? Did they even have a leader? Or were they facing off against rebellious individuals?

"You're not as invincible as you think. The era of the Bladebreakers has come to an end."

"You're wrong. We'll keep fighting as long as long as the world of beyblading is threatened."

Alexander smirked, all anger faded from his eyes. "Just how long can you keep that up for, Tyson?"

"For as long as necessary. I'm not going to stand by and watch innocent people suffer."

"Your words sound so noble, but I've heard this all before and witnessed the lies. Your words are wasted on me."

Tyson held back a growl. _Stay in control,_ he told himself. "So why did you come?"

"Because I wanted to speak with you in person."

"To warn me?"

He shrugged. "I suppose you could think that if it makes you feel better… My father… as cruel as he was… Gave his opponents a fighting chance. He respected his rivals, and it's for that reason, I've approached you."

What a messed up family this boy came from. He wondered how the others would react if they were right now. Would they heed his warning? Or just shrug it off? "Thanks… I guess." Time to return home. Kenny was probably worried sick about him. The boy was most likely stationed in front of the television fearing the worst.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you again, Tyson." He turned his back and walked away, chuckling to himself.

What an odd conversation. Tyson wasn't sure what to make of all that. Was Alexander playing mind games with him, trying to lower his guard, to make him more vulnerable? Was there any truth to his words? The unanswered questions made his head hurt. Perhaps Kenny might make better sense of this. Before leaving, he spared one more glance at Stanley's murder spot and said, "Whatever it takes… There will be justice."


	7. Darkened Days to Come

**Chapter Six: Darkened Days to Come**

Hours had passed since the argument with the other Majestics. His anger had subsided towards them, but he loathed himself for his part in it. How could he have been so foolish? He wouldn't be able to compete in the upcoming tournament without a team, and there was no way he was joining up with a bunch of amateurs.

He turned a corner into a deserted alleyway, spotting a beyblade dish up ahead. The kids who grew up in unstable environments often came down here to blade with other lost souls. It was their temporary escape from the problems in their lives. Johnny walked up to the beydish and glanced down at it. Would he ever get a chance to blade again in a professional environment?

His reputation was hanging on by a thread. The papers tomorrow would all have his name all over the headlines. "Fuck," he swore, kicking his shoe at a scrunched up can nearby. The can flew through the air and landed several feet away then rolled around the corner, disappearing into the shadows.

"Careful where you kick that. You never know who could be standing around a corner," a female said.

Johnny glanced up. Across from him was a woman with long royal blue hair wrapped up in a ponytail. She dressed in simple clothing unlike most of the women Enrique liked to hang around with who liked to wear fanciful dresses. "And who the hell are you?"

The girl snorted, and stepped out from the shadows, her arms folded over her chest. "And they said you were supposed to be a descendant of royalty…" she drawled.

So this girl knew him. No surprises there. Who didn't know the infamous Johnny McGregor? "Look, I don't do autographs, all right? So why don't you just crawl back to whatever hole you came out of and leave me alone."

She moved in closer. "You think I want an autograph from you?" A dry laugh escaped her throat. "You people are so full of yourselves, aren't you? You probably haven't heard of me, but I've heard of you and your team. The Majestics." She took another step, moving closer to the beydish. "My teammates are out shopping, so I have some time to kill. Why don't you and I have a beybattle? You look like you could use the distraction."

"Why do you care?" And just who the hell was she anyway to be speaking to him like this?"

"I'm a blader too, and they say you're one of the best Europe has to offer. But… I have my doubts about that. I heard how your team failed to even qualify for last year's tournament. I think you're all talk." She dropped a hand into a pocket and pulled out her blade. He noticed a bitchip on her blade. So, she had a bitbeast too. "What do you say we battle then or are you too chicken to fight a girl?"

A muscle in his jaw twitched. This girl had some real nerve talking to him like he was just some common blader. "You say you've heard of my team… then you'd know how foolish it would be to challenge me. Why don't you take the smart option and just walk away before I totally thrash your blade?" he spat. He didn't feel like blading right now, especially against some unproven girl. So what if she had a bitbeast?

"So you are a coward, I thought as much."

"Just what do you want?"

"Like I said, I have a bit of time to spare."

She was testing him. It was the first time a girl had actually even bothered to show him attention. Most girls just flocked around Enrique and Oliver. For some reason, they both were quite popular, and Johnny couldn't understand why. Both were weak bladers. Enrique couldn't even control his bitbeast right and Oliver had unicorn for a bitbeast. A bloody unicorn!

"Are you deaf or just plain dumb? I'm not blading against you. Why don't you find some poor kid and test your skill against them instead?" He turned his back, hoping the girl would get the idea. No movement. Perhaps if he started walking away, she'd leave and pester somebody else. He took a step towards the exit.

"That's a shame. I guess the rumours are untrue after all. So much for the McGregor clan never turning their back on a fight."

He stopped, feeling a surge of anger rise within. No one mocked his family name, especially some female with a smart mouth. Turning around, he strode back to the dish, and glared. "You have no right to speak of my family name. Just who are you anyway?"

"The name is Mariam. You might want to write that down so you remember the face of the person who beat you in a fair fight."

Fight the girl or walk away. It would be far easier to leave now and never look back, but that would just prove to this girl he was some coward. If she was smart, she'd tell the media about him being a coward. That would get back to his family and they would not be so impressed hearing their name shamed like that.

"Fine, I'll fight you, but don't cry when you lose," Johnny snarled, his patience wearing thin.

"Funny that, I was just about to say the same thing to you," Mariam replied curtly, loading her blade on the launcher. Johnny did the same. He was feeling slightly tense – it had been many long months since he had actually spun his blade against someone outside the Majestics. But surely, he could win this match? He was still the reigning champion of the United Kingdom.

"Three…two…one… Let it rip!" Mariam cried out, releasing her blade into the beydish. Johnny released his cord a split second later. Her blade circled around his blade as if it was searching for a weak spot. Salamalyon remained in the centre of the dish, spinning in place, waiting to counter attack. Mariam raised a hand in the air then brought it crashing down. "Shark Rash, attack now!"

Shark Rash changed direction, and hurtled down the slope towards Salamalyon. "Force her back, Salamalyon! Use Fire Rod!" His blade's bitchip glowed. White light burst from the top, temporarily blinding all those present. When the light faded, his bitbeast towered above them both.

"A salamander, then. He's very cute."

Wait. Cute? Did Mariam call his mighty bitbeast _cute?_ No way. "Attack now!" Salamalyon opened his mouth and spewed forth abhorrent looking purple flames. The flames surrounded her blade, preventing it from escaping. "Finish her off!"

"Not so fast Johnny-boy." He growled at the use of that name. "Shark Rash, counter attack, using Abyss Fire!" Her bitchip began to glow. A few moments later, a pillar of light burst skywards from the middle. The light faded now replaced by a shark. Salamalyon was three times the size of the shark, but her bitbeast showed no signs of being intimidated. In fact, she was smiling. Unsettling. "Shark Rash, attack now! Show this chump the true power of the Saint Shield clan!"

Saint Shield clan. Where had he heard that name before? He was sure the name was mentioned during his private history lessons. Robert would probably know. That man knew everything about history, but he didn't want to see him right now. Robert probably wouldn't want to even speak with him after his public outburst. Best to keep his distance for a few days until it all died down.

Distracted by his thoughts, he was caught off guard by Shark Rash's charge. The shark rammed into the right of his bitbeast with such force, his great salamander actually stumbled! That was unacceptable. Was he losing his touch? Had he become rusty over the past few years? He tightened his jaw. No. He had the power to win this match. He just had to concentrate.

"Salamalyon, use Vice Grip!" Salamalyon swung his tail around, slamming the side into the shark's left ribcage. The shark tried to escape, but Salamalyon wrapped his tail around the body and lifted it up in the air, applying more pressure. The battle would be over soon. "Why don't you just surrender now, Mariam, and call it a day?"

She shook her head. "You might have all the money in the world, but money doesn't buy heart. I'm not going to deny that your bitbeast is more powerful than mine, but I have something you lack. Heart." What sort of crap was she spewing? Heart? Yeah right. Blading was about wits and bravery and she had neither. This was why he didn't fight girls. Too emotional. "Max taught me that. You have raw power, but that's all. I have something greater, and that's why I'm going to win this battle."

She knew Max? As in, the hyper blond kid from the Bladebreakers? It had to be. The Bladebreakers were big believers of that nonsense. Friendship. Love. Trust. Bah. Such things only made you weak. "Go for the kill, Salamalyon. Don't release your hold. She can't last much longer."

"Look again, tough-guy. You're wrong."

He looked down, narrowing his eyes. Shark Rash didn't appear to be struggling at all. In fact… the shark was… calm? He was confused. Why wasn't her shark weakening? "That isn't right. You should've lost the battle by now."

"Money doesn't buy brains either…" she jeered. "Ever touched a shark before? It's not smooth. It's like sand paper. Rough. I'm actually doing more harm to your bitbeast than you are to mine." She gestured down to her bitbeast. Salamalyon's grip was weakening. His eyes widened. "You can surrender if you want… but you won't, will you? Allow me to end this battle then. Bring him down, Shark Rash!"

Johnny, still shocked by Mariam's words, could only watch as Shark Rash slipped out of Salamalyon's hold. The shark then circled around his bitbeast, as if circling a wounded animal in the ocean. He could see the grazes on Salamalyon's tail left by Shark Rash's skin. The shark increased its speed until it became a blur. Salamalyon's massive bulk made it hard for him to strike back. He looked more like a clumsy overgrown bitbeast in comparison to Mariam's Shark Rash.

Before he could react, Shark Rash slammed into his blade with such power, it shook the dish. Salamalyon retreated into his bitchip as it flew out of the dish, and into a wall, leaving a big hole in it. Stunned, Johnny remained in position, unable to find the words to speak. Had he just lost to some unproven blader? How could he have allowed his guard to drop like that?

Mariam held out her hand and called back her blade. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Maybe _he_ was the weak link on the Majestics. Maybe they would be better off without him on the team. Maybe they'd even be stronger. It wasn't like he ever wanted to be part of the Majestics anyway. Maybe he was the one holding them back? What if… "You got lucky, that's all. Beginner's luck. Next time that won't happen." It was like losing to Kai all over again. Embarrassing.

"You're a sore loser."

Throwing his arms out to the sides, he added, "So you beat me. So fucking what? You want a medal or something?" Today just wasn't his day.

Mariam lifted a brow. "…and I thought Dunga had problems…"

"Hey sis, is this chump giving you trouble?"

A newcomer. Mariam's brother. A boy much shorter than Mariam came forth, cradling a box of doughnuts in his arms. Unlike his sister, he had dark green hair, but they shared the same emerald eyes. He was flanked by a much bigger brute with shaggy dirty blond hair. "He's not giving me trouble, Joseph. He's just having a hard time accepting his loss."

"Wait – isn't that Johnny McGregor from the Majestics?"

"Yeah, that's him. Just don't ask him for an autograph or he'll try and bite your head off."

"And you beat him, sis?"

"That's what I just said."

"I didn't think they were that tough." Joseph looked him up and down. "Just a washed-up team. Ozuma could take them on in his sleep. Can't wait to face them in the tournament… if they even manage to qualify this time." The blond brute next to him laughed. "We should back anyway. Ozuma insists we head back home now. You know he doesn't like waiting around too long."

Mariam rolled her eyes then turned back to face him. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you again, Johnny. Next time we meet I expect a better fight."

Johnny held his tongue. No point in fighting back since he had already lost. He was just glad his 'teammates' weren't there to witness it. But to think he had lost to an opponent he should've easily beaten. What clan was she from again? The Saint Shields? Maybe his tutor would know. The man would certainly be delighted to know Johnny was showing an interest in history after all these years. Without saying a word, Johnny left the alleyway, images of his defeat still playing in his mind like a bad movie.

.

Stanley's death had rocked the beyblade community hard. She didn't know the man as well as the others, but she mourned his passing. As difficult as it was to adjust to a life without him, she knew they had to keep moving forwards. That's why she was visiting the local grocery shop and stocking up on supplies for a barbeque. Kenny had sent word about having a private funeral for the man that had done so much for the world.

It was also a way of getting the Bladebreakers back together. She hadn't seen Kai in months, nor had she spent much time with Rei and Max. The only two people she spent a lot of time with were Tyson and Kenny as Daichi had disappeared. Not that she was complaining. Kenny was the one person she could confide in. As for Tyson, he was someone she admired deeply, but knew she couldn't act on those feelings. He was the champion blader. He would never feel anything for her since blading was his one true love.

With all the drama happening now, Tyson didn't have any time for relationships anyway. He probably didn't even know what one was with his mind so preoccupied with blading. Actually, now that she thought about it, she wondered if any of the Bladebreakers were dating material. All they ever talked about was beyblading. She thought that perhaps with three of the original four Bladebreakers calling it quits that might change… but beyblading was still Tyson's number one topic.

As she walked down the street cradling the plastic bags in her arms, she heard the sounds of battle coming from the local blading park. Quickening her pace, she followed the sounds until she reached her destination. There were three people standing around the beydish. One kid with messy blond curls, and a man and a woman standing on the opposite side of the dish.

She crouched behind a bush and peered over the top, watching the battle play out before her. It was two against one. The kid didn't stand a chance. What made things worse was that she recognized the duo. A woman with pale skin and black hair, and her partner, a tanned male with light grey hair. King and Queen. The infamous part hunters. What on earth were they doing here and why were they battling some kid?

"Remember the rules. When we win, you give us your blade," King said.

"That was my late grandfather's gift to me!"

Queen shrugged. "A deal is a deal. We promise you – we'll put those parts to good use. You'll be doing the world a favour, kid." King's blade slammed into the opponent's, pushing it to the edge of the dish. "Give up already. You're not good enough to be blading at the elite level. So why don't you save yourself an embarrassing loss, and just hand over the blade?"

"Cool it, Queen. We had a deal, and we should honour it."

"Must you always ruin the moment?"

He turned to face her. "You know the rules."

"Fine. We'll do it your way. Just hurry up already and end the battle or I will."

King nodded, and turned back to the dish. "Ariel, finish it." Ariel pulled back then charged, pushing the kid's blade out of the dish. "The battle is done. Honour your side of the deal and your blade over. I promise, your blade will be used well."

The kid dropped to his knees. Unable to watch anymore of this, Hilary rose to her feet and charged towards the duo. "That blade is not yours to take!" she cried out. A part of her told her to turn back now and contact Tyson to handle this. These two were skilled bladers – she didn't even know how to launch one correctly. But she couldn't keep crying out wolf.

King and Queen turned around. A smile spread across Queen's face. "Hilary! It's so good to see your face again. It's been what, almost two years since we last saw each other?"

"I would never forget a face like yours." And how could she knowing what this woman and her partner did? Taking parts of people as if they had the right. Even Kai had been a victim to their cruel games. "That blade isn't yours. Give it back."

"Or else what?" Queen replied. "What are you going to do about it?"

Absolutely nothing. There was nothing she could do to stop them. Sometimes, she wished she was a blader too so she could fight people who deserved to be punished. Never had she felt so helpless as she did now. "What are you doing? Why are you stealing parts? I thought you were done with that," Hilary said, trying a different tactic. If she couldn't take them on by force, she could fish for information that could later be used against them.

"This is how we survive, Hilary," King said. "We tried to live the normal life. You know, find a job. But no one wanted to take us. No one wants to help the outcasts. We were about to give up when we were made an offer that we simply couldn't refuse – find parts and exchange for money. That's how we eat. How we drink. How we sleep at night on a bed rather than a cold floor. We need to do this to live."

"By taking from others what isn't yours to take? You justify your actions for selfish reasons."

Queen opened her mouth to speak, but King raised a hand, calling for silence. "You gotta do whatever it takes to survive. It might be hard to believe, but we're doing what is for the greater good of the world," King explained.

"By stealing parts? You're criminals."

"These parts are going to create the best blades ever to play the game."

"But why go to such extremes? What do you gain out of it?"

Queen cleared her throat. "Let's cut to the chase, King. The BBA are done. It's time for a change. With Stanley Dickinson dead, that change can now happen. All that remains now is finishing off the Bladebreakers. Drive them out of business for good. As long as your friends remain in the game, this sport will never grow."

"You're wrong."

"Am I? We all know Tyson will never retire until someone knocks him off his throne. Tala failed. Zeo failed. Even Brooklyn, the so-called genius at blading failed to defeat Tyson. Not even Kai could and many regard him as the best blader ever." Queen moved closer until she was standing about an arm's length away from Hilary. "I know you care for him, Hilary. Why else would you follow him everywhere and stand at his side? But the Bladebreakers and their sacred bitbeasts need to be sealed."

"This again? Why is it always about the bitbeasts? We've already had to deal with the Saint Shields coming after us. And guess what? They failed to do their job. If you think you can seal away the bitbeasts of my friends, you're mistaken."

"We're not planning on sealing them away in some stupid rock," Queen said, amused. "A rock can easily be broken. The boss has plans. He says he's going to send them far far away to a place of which there is no return. The sacred bitbeasts will remain in this place for eternity and the world of blading can continue to prosper."

Hilary couldn't help it. She laughed. "So this is what this all about? You're all jealous because none of you could defeat the Bladebreakers, and now you want to seal them away? You'll never succeed."

Queen just laughed. "We're not working alone, Hilary. There's a lot of people out there who despise the Bladebreakers and what they stand for. If you were smart you'd leave them to their fate. There's no future with people like that."

Turning to his partner, King said, "You have to give her some credit, Queen. She's brave, but she'll realize she's selected the wrong side in due time." He then faced Hilary again. "Go back to your friends and tell them this – stand down or compete and lose everything. We're giving your friends a chance, Hilary. A chance to live."

No. She couldn't believe a single word they were speaking. Queen was just trying to mess with her head. Surely, they couldn't be universally despised? Tyson and his friends had saved the world more than twice, and they would continue to do so until they could no longer blade. "I'm not going to abandon my friends, and they're not going to just give up. You obviously don't know them too well if you think they'll heed your warning."

"Perhaps this should be a good enough warning." Before Hilary could react, Queen raised her blade, and fired.

.

It had been many weeks, no months, since Rei had last set foot in Tyson's dojo. The last time he had been in here was to discuss the attack plan against the Bega League. The place hadn't changed at all – everything looked exactly how he remembered it to be. Only one person was missing – Tyson's grandpa. Kenny explained the man had taken a short break to clear his mind.

"Where's Tyson?" Max said, sitting opposite to Rei on the floor, his legs crossed and hands folded in his lap.

Kenny looked up from his laptop. "Tyson said he needed to clear his head. You don't think he's run into any trouble, do you?"

"He'd be able to handle it. It's Tyson," Rei answered. "Speaking of danger, we ran into a bit ourselves. We were at a café just hanging out. Out of nowhere, this blade was launched in our general direction, leading us into an alleyway. There was writing on the wall. Show him, Max."

Max nodded, pulling out his phone. He brought the image up and showed it to Kenny. "Graffiti on the wall. It's like they wanted us to specifically see this message. Why else would they lead us down that particular alleyway?" He lowered his phone and out it away, then added, "What if they're watching us right now?"

"We need to know who 'we' is," Rei said. "Right now? We don't know anything asides from someone has a vendetta against the BBA for whatever reason. This writing is a good step. Maybe there are more clues about for us to find."

Kenny raised a hand. "Hold on. We can't act until Tyson returns."

"We also need Kai on this. He's a Bladebreaker too," Max said. "Maybe he knows more about this mess."

Rei nodded. "If anyone knows about suspicious behaviour it would be Kai."

Just then, the door opened. Turning his head around, Rei saw Tyson standing in the doorway, a troubled expression on his face. "Tyson!" Rei exclaimed, running over towards him. Max and Kenny joined his side. "Are you okay?" That expression on his face could only mean something had happened.

Tyson grimaced. "We have a real issue on our hands."

Tyson was usually upbeat and lively. When he was down in the dumps it was obvious there was something terribly wrong. He was never upset without good reason. "You ran into them too, then? The mysterious blader?"

Raising a brow, Tyson said, "Blader? I talked with Alexander. He was that kid we abandoned back in Russia."

Alexander? Wait, he was the blader who battled against Tyson in that exhibition match. A match obviously held to see just what Tyson was capable of doing, and to catch Kai's attention. "We ran into some trouble of our own, Tyson. Max and I were at a local café when a blade appeared out of nowhere leading us on a chase to some deserted alleyway with the words, 'The end is nigh' on the walls."

Tyson adjusted his cap then continued speaking. "I also ran into Kai. He made a… interesting suggestion."

"What do you mean?" Rei hadn't seen Kai since the last time the Bladebreakers fought as a team. It was rumoured Kai had returned to Russia, but that didn't seem to be true at all. He was still in town and most likely keeping an eye on his teammates despite pretending not to like them. Typical Kai. "Does he know what's going on?"

"No. He knows as much as we do, but he's positive it's an attack against the BBA. Obviously, someone has it in for them, and with the words Alexander told me, it only strengthens that suspicion." Tyson closed the door behind him then moved towards the centre of the room before sitting down.

Rei, Kenny and Max followed and sat in a circle. How odd it was to be sitting down in this room making plans for the future once again. Ever since the Bladebreakers became one, this had become a common thing. Rei wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. It was good to meet with his close friends, but to meet in conditions like this when there was a threat against them? Very unsettling.

"Alexander basically implied we do have enemies hiding around every corner, and most of them are people we have crossed paths with at some point. He claimed we were the enemies, that we are the ones prohibiting progress because we keep winning all the time. He doesn't know who the shooter is however," Tyson explained, his shoulders slumped. "I wasn't there when Stanley was shot, but I feel we owe it to him to find answers and protect the BBA."

"We don't even know who we are fighting against," Rei said. "We're facing off against shadows with no faces. Some of us aren't even registered to compete in this year's tournament. Our contracts are finished with the BBA, and Stanley isn't there to renew them. If what Alexander says is true, our enemies want to keep us out of the tournament."

"Rei's right, Tyson. The Bladebreakers officially split. Our contracts have expired. We can't be part of the Bladebreakers again even if we wanted to. Stanley owns the name, and now he's dead. No one else is going to want to renew that contract."

Tyson made a fist and laid it down on the space before him. "But we can still fight. We don't have to be part of the BBA to complete in this tournament. We have enough funds to support ourselves. We could be the first independent team to compete."

The idea sounded fair and all, but that would mean turning their backs against the BBA, the team that made them who they are today. "And abandon the BBA?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, Rei. You've done it before when you joined up with your home team. I'm sure it never crossed your mind you were leaving the BBA," Tyson sniped back.

Rei frowned. "That isn't fair, Tyson." He then drew in a deep breath, telling himself to calm down. Tyson was on edge. They all were and arguing wasn't going to help solve anything. "That was different. Max, Kai, and I joined our home teams to prove ourselves to you. What you're suggesting is that we abandon ship altogether. That we fight as a team but under a new name. Stanley is probably turning in his grave right now."

"It was Kai's suggestion, and it makes sense. I don't like it as much as the next person, but this could be our only chance to defend the BBA without actually being part of the corporation. Think about it – the BBA is being targeted for some reason. Anyone who associates with the BBA will also be a target. How are we going to protect them if we too are targets?"

"How am I not surprised Kai came up with the idea?" Rei said. Though he had been blading at Kai's side for a number of years, he still didn't wholly trust in the man. Kai was difficult to read – it was hard to predict what his next move would be, and where his true allegiances lay. Tyson and Max he could trust with his life, but Kai? Not so much. "Is he coming here? Kai?"

Tyson nodded. "He'll be here. He said he had to sort out some stuff first."

Rei wasn't sure why Tyson trusted Kai so much. It wasn't like Kai had done anything to deserve his friendship in the first place. The man had ridiculed them and betrayed them far too many times, but Tyson continued to place his trust in him. Their friendship was puzzling. Was Tyson afraid of losing Kai? But why would he be? He was a stronger blader than Kai. He suspected Kai hadn't even seen the true extent of Tyson's powers yet. He wasn't even sure if Tyson knew what he was fully capable of either. Maybe that's why he kept Kai close – because Kai pushed him to reach the next level.

"Rei, hello, are you there?" Max said, waving a hand in his face.

Rei blinked several times. The rest of the gang were looking at him, eyebrows arched. How long had he spaced out for? "I was just thinking, that's all. We know one thing for certain – we need to stick together as a team. Going our separate ways didn't turn out so well the last time."

"That's because we're stronger united than we are divided," Tyson answered.

Kenny closed his laptop. "I'm not so sure about this… This will be even worse than what we endured throughout the Bega era. Back then, we were only fighting against Boris, but an entire army? Maybe the smarter option would be to not compete at all."'

Tyson shook his head. "No way, chief. I'm still the champion, and I will defend my title. I'm not ever going to back down."

"Tyson's right. This is who we are, Kenny. We are the Bladebreakers and we do not walk away from a threat. Giving up is what they want," Max said. "We can compete in this tournament under a new name and logo. There is no law saying that we can't. We have the funds to support ourselves so it's not like money is a problem."

Kenny looked to Rei. "Rei, please say you don't agree with them! This is madness! We are nothing without the BBA! We'll be classed as traitors! Have sense!"

"I understand your concerns, Kenny, but I'm siding with Max and Tyson. Based on our previous history, it's safe to say our enemies will compete in the stadium. That's what these people do – they want us to feel humiliated – and they can achieve that in front of the global audience. That places the lives of all our friends competing at risk too, and I won't stand aside and allow that to happen."

Kenny looked from Rei, to Tyson, to Max then to Tyson again, the colour draining from his face. "This is going to end badly…"

"Be positive, chief," Tyson said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Then it's settled. We'll compete in the tournament," Rei said. To blade again in the professional environment. He didn't think he'd be coming out of retirement so quickly, but he was secretly pleased.

"We'll need a new team name and we'll need to nominate a captain," Max said.

"No need for that because we all know that I will be the captain of the team," a voice said from behind.

Glancing over his shoulder, Rei looked towards the entrance. Kai stood in the doorway. As usual, there was no smile on his face. Of course Kai would have to show up right at this time. He always had impeccable timing. "Kai, it's been awhile."

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. As usual, Kai ignored him. "I'm glad you've come to a decision without me. I can't always be around to babysit you lot and make the tough decisions," Kai remarked, his tone laced with amusement. Was that an attempted joke by him? Since when did Kai have a sense of humour? "We'll need to register our new team name, and we'll have to qualify."

"Qualify?" Max repeated.

"According to the rules, all new teams must qualify to compete in the tournament," Kenny said. "It doesn't matter who you are."

Kai looked at Tyson. "That does exclude you, Tyson since you have automatic qualification…. but you won't get to defend your title if the team as a whole fails to make it through."

"That's not going to happen," Rei said. "We'll qualify."

"I want to share the same confidence as you, Rei, but I wouldn't be so cocky. I think this tournament will be the toughest one yet. Yes, we are the most experienced bladers to ever play the game… But as BEGA showed us last year, we're not the only ones with powerful bitbeasts. We need to be cautious."

"Way to dampen the mood, Kai," Tyson commented.

Kai gave Tyson his trademark smirk. "As captain, it's my job to ensure you all stay focused. Training begins tomorrow. You all need to be up by the time the sun rises. If you're not, you're off the team." He turned his back and headed back towards the doorway. "Kenny, I'll need to talk with you. The rest of you – get some sleep."

Rei watched Kenny and Kai exit the dojo, feeling as if he had just been slapped in the face. "Looks like the old grouch is back."

"You don't think he'd actually kick us off the team though, right?" Max said.

Tyson shook his head. "He needs us. He won't admit it, but he needs us on the team. After all, we _did_ just make a vow we were in this together." He stretched his arms above his head then yawned. "Hey, do you think we should order pizza tonight?"

Max gave him the thumbs up. "Pizza sounds good! I'll place an order. Do you have any preferences?"

"Anything goes," Rei said. "I'm cool with anything."

"What about Kai though? He doesn't strike me as a pizza guy," Max said.

"If he's not happy, there's some stuff in the fridge," Tyson answered. "Anyway, I'll catch up with you shortly. I'm just going to give Hil a call. She'll be thrilled to know Kai is back." Tyson turned to exit the room, taking a left turn into a corridor. Once Tyson was out of hearing range, Max faced Rei, smiling.

"Did you hear that? He called her Hil."

Rei laughed. "I don't think he even realized he said that."

"You think Tyson is even aware of how Hilary feels?"

He shrugged. "About Hilary's obvious crush on him? Probably not. He probably thinks Hilary likes Kai. Noticed how he said she'll be thrilled to know Kai is back?" He then paled. "Don't tell Hilary I said that." The girl might not be a blader, but she could cause collateral damage without one. He did not want to be on the receiving end of that girl's rage.

Chuckling, Max pulled out his phone. "Maybe we can play a round of _Truth or Dare_ later when Hilary arrives. Hey, maybe Kai could play too."

"Or _Charades. Pictionary,_ perhaps. That's a game Kai would like."

Max chuckled again, withdrawing his phone. "Well, I should probably order that pizza now. Talk soon." He rose to his feet and exited the room.

Rei remained on the floor, cross-legged, thinking about the past twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours ago he had regretted retiring. Twenty-four hours later and here he was blading again with his friends. "Here's to a successful tournament. We'll be sure to make you proud of us, Mr. D." He bowed his head in silent prayer. Whoever had shot Stanley was going to regret it.

.

Thanks to inky-star for reviewing the previous chapter!


	8. Resurrection and Rebirth

Thanks to Inky-Star, Desires of Autumn Leaves and psychlover95 for reviewing the previous chapter

 **.**

 **Chapter Seven: Resurrection and Rebirth**

Mariah sat down at the foot of her bed, head resting against the plank of wood. Her knees were brought to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them, her chin resting on her knees. Days had passed since she had returned home, but the words of her grandfather were still very recent, as if she had only just heard them an hour ago.

Marry Rei. When she was just a young girl, she would've jumped at the chance to be wedded to such a fine honourable man. But now? She wanted to run for the hills, but refusal would mean being cast out of the tribe. It would mean being disowned from her family to pursue her own happiness, and living in a world without the support of her family seemed so bleak.

Lee was naturally overjoyed with the news. She wondered if he had some sort of a say in it being the elder brother and all, but he insisted he knew nothing. Maybe the elders of the village had come together to make a decision. Lee informed the rest of the White Tiger team about the news earlier this morning much to her disdain. Gary had congratulated her and Kevin had said a few nice things about it too.

They all thought it was great news, but had anyone bothered to see it from her perspective? That's why she was in her room now with the door locked. No one could get in and bother her. Why couldn't they understand she didn't want to spend the rest of her life yoked to Rei? A banging on her door brought her out of her thoughts. It was probably one of the boys trying to make her feel better again.

"I'm perfectly fine," she said. Maybe she ought to give one of her girlfriends a call. They'd at least be a little more understanding than the boys would about this sort of stuff. She searched for her phone… only to find it wasn't in its usual pocket. Darn. It was probably in the charging port in the lounge. Naturally. So much for that idea.

"It's Kevin. I think we should talk."

Kevin, wanting to actually talk? How odd. At least it wasn't Lee. Anyone but her brother. With a sigh, she climbed to her feet, and unlocked the door. She pulled it open allowing him to come inside. "What do you want?" she demanded, looking down at him.

Kevin sat down on her bed. "Let's talk. About Rei."

"There's nothing to be said."

"Come on, Mariah, I know you're not happy with the decision."

She narrowed her eyes. "And I don't see why you would even care. When Lee told you, you seemed pretty thrilled it. If I recall correctly, your exact words were, 'congratulations Mariah. He's the perfect fit for you.'"

"Be fair. Lee was there! I couldn't exactly say, 'that's silly' now, could I?" He took in a deep breath and continued, running a hand through his green locks of hair. "I know you don't want to marry Rei. I can see the look in your eyes."

How the tables had turned. Usually, it was Mariah or Lee giving Kevin advice. "Is it really that obvious?"

"You spend a great deal of time with that blond guy from BEGA. What's his name, Mysty?"

"Mystel," she corrected.

"Yeah, that guy. You liked him the moment you found out he had saved your bandana from being lost forever."

Great. So even Kevin had noticed. Did the rest of the White Tiger tribe know as well that she liked someone outside the village? "He actually went out of his way to get it for me. I can't imagine Lee would do that."

"And you invited him for lunch too."

"He deserved it. I don't see the purpose behind all these questions, Kevin. What exactly are you trying to get at?"

Kevin lay down on her bed. It was like he had forgotten that he was in _her_ room. "Do what makes you happy, Mariah. That's all I'm saying."

"Easier said than done. I don't want to be cast out of the tribe."

He sat upright, his brows furrowed. "You're talking about the old sacred tradition, right? I say rewrite the laws. Remember when we weren't even allowed to compete in the tournaments because our ancestors would've been disappointed? Do you remember when we weren't even allowed to set one foot out of the village? Heck, do you remember when we weren't even allowed to blade?"

The early days of the White Tigers. She remembered reading about it in the history books how closed off the tribe was to modern day society. How the founders of the White Tiger tribe disliked beyblading, fearing it would corrupt the people. Eventually, they accepted it when they discovered how potent of a weapon it could be after locating the White Tiger, Driger.

"I remember reading about it."

"The laws of our tribe keep changing throughout the years," Kevin stated, looking directly at her, his expression serious. "So, rewrite them again. We keep changing. You don't need to marry Rei if you don't want to. Does Rei even know about this?"

She shook her head. "I don't think anyone has told him yet. Lee tried contacting him the other day, but there was no response." Which was understandable considering the news of Stanley's passing and such. He was closer to the man than anyone else was in the White Tiger team. "If anyone is going to tell him it should be me." What an awkward conversation that would be.

"And Mystel. You're going to have to tell him too."

That was a conversation she did not look forward to having. How would he react? Would he respect the wishes of her family and walk away? "I'll tell him when I get the chance." For the first time ever, she didn't look forward to meeting with him. She needed time to think it through, to find the best words to say.

"I'll be there to support you, Mariah. No matter what choice you make because we are the White Tiger Tribe and we stick together." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Glancing down at her, he added, "You need to stop being so selfless and do what's best for you." He turned his back and exited the room without adding further comment.

Mariah could only watch him leave, his parting words replaying in her mind. Do what's best for you. With a sigh, she buried her head into her knees.

.

"Stage two of brain tumour," Hiro read aloud, glancing down at the results of his prognosis. He had a slow growing tumour and the outcome of death was reasonable if left untreated. He dropped the paper on the table, and squeezed his eyes shut. Perhaps it was karma for abandoning his brother during his time of need.

But this was too soon. His work had not yet been done. There was still much to be done. It couldn't end like this, but the price of treatment was costly, and he didn't have the funds. When the BEGA had fallen amount, all cheques promised had disappeared too. Since he wasn't part of the BBA anymore, he couldn't get support from them either.

There was Tyson, but he couldn't face his younger brother. Not like this. The younger Granger sibling already had too much to deal with, and him showing up asking for money wasn't going to help. This was something he had to deal with on his own, but who would be willing to hire someone who was probably going to die within a few years?

He switched on the laptop. Perhaps there was a coaching job going around. Bringing up the Chrome browser, Hiro typed in blading coaching jobs. Hundreds of links came up. He clicked on the first one. Coaching for young kids. No. That wouldn't cover the costs. Coach needed for amateur team. No. He scrolled down through the list. The majority of jobs were for amateurs.

He decided to try a different site. Perhaps he'd find better luck on a private job listing site instead. "Beyblade coach needed," Hiro said, as he typed in the words into the search box. This time, only three pages of links came up. The first few didn't catch his eye, but then he came across the following text:

 _Private blading coach needed. Professional experience at the highest level only. Excellent salary. Please contact Douglas at 04 3307 4960 to arrange an interview._

Douglas. The name was familiar. Wasn't he the former owner of the PBB Research Facility? Why would he be looking for a blading coach? Wasn't that Judy's responsibility? Still, it was worth a try. Picking up his phone, Hiro dialled in the numbers. It rang a few times before someone finally picked up. "Hello, this is Douglas speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hi, this is Hiro Granger. I saw your job offer for a private blading coach listed on the internet. I'm calling to say I'm interested in applying for the job."

There was a pause, then, "Hiro Granger? Tyson Granger's older brother?"

At least his name was recognized. "Yes, that's right."

"Why are you interested in applying?"

"Because I wish to help bladers reach their potential to keep the competitive spirit of the sport alive."

Another pause. "Your name is known to me as is your coaching experience. You brought the BBA Revolution to victory and helped Tyson secure this third world cup. You then turned your back on the BBA to coach Boris's team. Why was that?"

Of course that question was bound to come up. He had been labelled a traitor, but a coach wasn't loyal to any particular team. A coach was loyal to the evolution of the sport and that meant working with different bladers to achieve the best possible results. "I'm a coach, Douglas. A coach is not loyal to one particular team or blader. A coach helps those who need it most."

"Hm… You've caught my interest, Hiro. I would be interested in discussing this in further detail as early as tomorrow. How does twelve thirty pm sound? We can meet at the café LavAzza on Main Street in the city centre. Is that possible?"

That was only an hour's drive from his current hideout. "Yes, that sounds perfect."

"Bring your blade with you."

An odd request, but perhaps he wanted to see with his own eyes his teaching methods. "Okay."

"I look forward to seeing you, Hiro."

"And I look forward to meeting you as well, Douglas."

"Goodbye." Douglas ended the call before Hiro even had a chance to get another word in. Hiro put his phone down then glanced back at his results again. "I'm sorry, Tyson. I don't want to hurt you again, but I don't have any other choice." If treatment failed, the loss wouldn't hurt as much. Tyson was probably still sour towards him over the abandoning of the BBA. "One day you'll understand, but it's for the best. This is how you grow stronger, and that's all I want for you. That's all mother ever wanted."

He folded the paper up and tucked it in his pocket. He didn't want anyone else accidentally coming across the paper. That would make things quite difficult, and could possibly cost him a job. Without a job, he'd have no income and wouldn't be able to pay for his treatment and begging wasn't his style.

Either way, it would be interesting to see what team Douglas had in place. The man was basically a mystery to him – he was the brains behind the PBB, but Judy coached the All-Stars and designed the blades. Why would he have his own need for a private blader? A coach that wouldn't be publicly listed?

"I suppose I'll find out tomorrow," he said, switching off his laptop. He rose to his feet then walked over to his window, poking his head outside. Surprisingly, it was calm. He expected more activity after the death of Stanley, but he supposed the attackers wanted to keep themselves hidden. Unless they were waiting for the right moment to attack. An attack during the tournament? That would be the best way to make a statement as it would be captured on all the cameras and broadcast around the world.

It made his head hurt just thinking about it. "One thing at a time, Hiro. Just worry about the coaching job tomorrow then worry about the rest later." He turned away from his window and headed towards the hallway. Coffee would help. A strong cup of coffee. Tonight was going to be a long one.

.

The sounds of blades clashing greeted Tala as he stepped outside into the yard. The yard space was small – big enough for one bedroom – but it was ideal for practice runs. Ever since selecting their name, the Demolition Boys had been motivated to practice. Sometimes he'd hear Bryan, Spencer and Ian blading in the late hours of the night, perfecting their basic moves.

The embarrassment of last year bore heavily on them, like an invisible weight on their shoulders that refused to budge. The boys wanted to restore pride to the team, and Tala couldn't blame them. His performance of the last tournament had been far below his usual standard. The survivors of the Abbey were probably amused. How far had the Demolition Boys fallen.

But this year, things were going to be different. He was going to prove to the rest of the world they were a team to be reckoned with, and they could go to the end without Kai on their team. Kai, the traitor. The man who had no understanding of the word loyalty, choosing only to team up with whichever team suited his desires at the time.

Whilst his boys were practicing, Tala helped himself to the computer. He needed to register the team into the system and it was much easier to do that online rather than in person. Fortunately, navigating the website was easy. All he had to do was input his name, the names of his teammates and the official team name to register. One month before the tournament, the organizers would email them a laminated card. This would allow them to compete in the qualifying rounds and gain access to the rooms out the back.

So far, only a few teams had registered. He only recognized one, the White Tigers with Lee as captain. The rest of the registered teams were names he didn't recognize. The Spin Shepherds. The Renegades. The Charming Princes. The Savage Slammers. A bunch of amateurs. They would deal no threat to him and his team. Still, they had their uses such as being good practice for his teammates who hadn't bladed in the dish in a long time.

Just as he was about to switch off the computer, an email notification popped up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Tala frowned. He didn't often get emails. He clicked on the notification and brought it up on the screen to read.

 _Dear Tala,_

 _It's been a long time. You were hard to track down, but it's a good thing I was able to find your contact details on the official beyblading tournament website. Perhaps next time you should try giving a fake email address. Just an idea. You never know who could be trying to get in touch with you. I'll keep in contact._

There was no signature nor no name of the sender. The email address didn't give much indication either as to who it was, but Tala didn't need any of that. Voltaire. It had to be him. Who else would bother to contact him after years of silence? Obviously, he had been released… Or someone had busted him out. Either way, it had been kept from the media otherwise it would make headlines all around the world.

Voltaire back. What did that mean for the world of beyblading? Would he be back to his old tricks and try and use bitbeasts as weapons of war? Was he behind the murder of Stanley Dickinson? He looked at the screen again. He wasn't going to respond. Maybe if he refused, Voltaire would stop trying to contact him.

"Hey Tala, what's taking so long?" Bryan called out from behind him.

Tala glanced over his shoulder. He quickly closed the window. He hadn't even heard Bryan returning. "Just registering, that's all."

Bryan raised a brow. "You weren't trolling people on chat rooms again, were you?"

He forced a smile. "You got me. That's exactly what I was doing." Telling the Demolition Boys about Voltaire's release would have to wait. Better if they didn't know about it so they could wholly focus their efforts on blading rather than live in fear of Voltaire. He turned the computer off then stood up. "My turn did you say?"

Bryan nodded. "You're up against Spencer then you'll face Ian. I'll be joining you shortly – just going to grab myself a drink. You want anything from the fridge?"

No drinking alcohol in lead up to a beyblading tournament. No drinking between matches nor after as well. "Grab me a can of coke," Tala said. Bryan nodded, and walked over to the fridge. To succeed, sometimes you had to make sacrifices, even if they were difficult to part with. As Bryan raided the fridge, Tala headed outside, pulling out his Wolborg blade and launcher. Spencer was standing on the opposite side of the dish, his blade raised and ready to be launched.

"I thought you weren't going to show for a moment, Tala," Spencer said.

"I was just wrapping up a few things, that's all. We're now officially registered as the Demolition Boys, and should receive our cards in a few weeks via mail." Tala walked up to the dish then loaded his blade onto the launcher. "I'll try not to go easy on you, Spencer."

"I'll give you a hundred percent."

"That's not enough. I want you to give me everything you have. Show me your true power, Spencer."

Spencer's jaw tightened. "But Tala, you're my captain."

"That didn't stop Kai from taking advantage of us. You lower your defences, and people will walk all over us." At the mention of Kai, Spencer's eyes narrowed. He could visibly see Spencer's hands tighten around his blade, as his arms began to tremble with anger. "Pretend I'm Kai. You've defeated him before. Made a fool of him. I want you to find that power again and use it against me. We want to show the world what we're truly capable of. I'm not going to tolerate weakness from you. Do we have a deal?"

Spencer nodded. "I will defeat you, Tala."

Tala smirked. "That's what I want to hear."

"Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!" Ian exclaimed, bringing his hand down. He took a few steps back as the two blades smashed into each other, sending sparks flying in different directions.

Spencer was physically the strongest blader on his team. If not for the powers of the bitbeasts, Spencer would easily crush any blade. The qualifying rounds would be easy enough to pass, but the real tournament began with all the professionals. That's when a blader's true power would be revealed, and he had to hope Spencer, Bryan and Ian could unlock that.

And if not? Then they might as well not even bother competing. Seaborg pulled away from Wolborg then circled him, searching for a weak point. Tala kept his blade in the centre of the dish, awaiting Spencer's next attack. "Go Seaborg! Attack!" Spencer ordered, thrusting a finger forward. Seaborg slammed into Wolborg.

But it wasn't enough. There was still some restraint there. Hesitance. A part of Spencer didn't want to take the fight to his captain. Not acceptable. "Wolborg, Storm Meteor!" A powerful wind burst from the chip of his blade. His bitbeast emerged from the howling winds, encased in a whirlwind of snow. It wasn't long before the ground was encased in ice. But that was only phase one of the attack. "Now!" Snowballs crashed to the ground, smashing the ice into pieces as they made contact. Seaborg was struck and thrown out of the dish. The blade hit the fence and dropped, landing upside down, with the chip facing the ground. Another loss for Spencer.

"That was unexpected," Spencer said, walking over to retrieve his blade. "I didn't realize Wolborg had learned a new move."

Tala recalled his blade. "I wanted to test it out. We're still working on a few new moves. Everyone knows how to counter Novae Rog now, so I figured why not try something new?" He tilted his head towards Spencer's blade. "Let's try that again. This time, you'll know what to expect. I admit, that was a little unfair of me, but if you lose, you won't get another chance. You have to always be ready for the unexpected."

Bryan rejoined the group moments later, carrying four cans of coke in his arms. He glanced down at the ice then glanced up, looking towards Tala. "I guessed I missed out. Tala showing off some new moves?" he said, handing a can of coke to his teammates.

"That's right," Tala remarked, taking a can.

"I've been working on something new myself. Razor Wind."

"Glad to know you've been working hard, Bryan."

Bryan smirked. "I learned a lot from the last tournament despite not having bladed myself. I'm not going to be taken advantage of again like Kai did to us. He won't find it so easy next time should we meet in the dish again." The smirk from his face faded. Bryan was still mad at Kai for taking one of the two spots on the team.

"Shall we call for a break?" Ian said. "I'm getting hungry."

Spencer nodded. "I could do with a decent meal."

"Yeah, me too," Bryan commented.

"Looks like I'll be outvoted… All right. We'll get some lunch but then we carry on from where we left of at. I'll battle Spencer again and then I want Bryan to battle Ian," Tala said. "I'm come up with a training schedule later, and then we'll find someplace else to practice. This little dish can only handle so much." He glanced down at it. Cracks were already starting to appear. Another attack like that and it would apart.

"We could rent a dish down at the park," Bryan pointed out. "I hear you can actually book one out for a few days a month."

"That could work," Tala answered. "How much?"

"It's usually three hundred – a hundred a day, but since we made it to the finals last year, we're entitled to a discount. I don't actually know what the discount is, but I know we get one."

"All right. I'll head on down to the BBA later today and get this sorted out. I'll also check to see if our registration has gone through fine." Better to know for sure and not receive a nasty surprise on the day of the tournament. "You boys want to come down too?"

"Yeah, why not? We hardly ever visit town," Bryan said. He looked to Spencer. The blond nodded.

"Me too, I'll come," Ian said.

Tala nodded. "Then let us have lunch first and we'll head on down."

.

Whilst the boys were congratulating Mariam on her victory against Johnny from the Majestics, Ozuma visited the elders. The Council of the Saint Shields as they liked to refer to themselves as. It was made up of three men and one woman. They each wore a black robe with a hood to hide their faces, preferring to keep their identities a mystery.

He only approached them in times of great need. If anyone could make sense of his visions, it would be the elders. "Elder Pierre. May I come in now?" Ozuma said, lowering his hand from the door. The Council took place in the indoors courtyard.

The door opened. "Come in."

Ozuma stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The courtyard was no bigger than the standard room in their house, and designed to be more of a prayer room. There was a statue of their founder in the centre of the fountain. A variety of bushes lined both sides of the room with pot plants hanging above them, holding different coloured flowers. Stepping inside the room gave you a sense of peace. No wonder they used it for their meetings.

"What is the problem you face, Ozuma?" the woman said.

Ozuma sat down in the middle of the circle whilst the others took their place around him. It felt strange to be the centre of attention, but this was how it was. He cleared his throat and began to speak. "I've been having these dreams of the late. There's this… beast. Reptilian in design. It talked to me from the shadows."

"Just a dream, and nothing more," said one of the elders, a male with a deep hoarse voice.

The woman raised a hand calling for silence. "Let him speak, Elder Roark."

"It talked to me about the four bitbeasts. Dragoon. Draciel. Driger and Dranzer."

Two of the elders started exchanging whispers. "The sacred ones."

"Yes, those ones," Ozuma said. "A long time ago you said I should seek them out and seal them away to protect the world from harm. But we were proven wrong – the bitbeasts are in good hands, and I've taken it upon myself to protect them from ever being locked away again. You are all wise beyond my years. Please, help me understand these dreams that invade my mind."

"How many times have you had this dream, Ozuma?" Elder Pierre said.

"Just once. It happened a few days ago."

"Then it's just a dream," Elder Roark stated, exasperated. "He's had this dream once. These are not visions from the one true god. Just a dream like any other. Perhaps he has been too busy watching all those fantasy shows on television."

Ozuma held back his anger. The elders are wise, he told himself. If they believe them to be just dreams then they probably are just dreams. Figments of his imagination playing tricks on him. But it sounded so real. It _felt_ real, and typical dream didn't do that. "I know what I saw. It told me that I could receive these messages because I had that gift. It said that I need to spread the message, 'the beast has returned - the end is nigh' whatever that means. Haven't you heard of anything like this before?"

The last of the elders, Elder Myrah, spoke. "I've heard of something similar in my days as a young child."

Ozuma turned to face him. Elder Myrah was the eldest of the group. If anyone knew anything, he would. "And what did you hear?"

"As children, we were forced to read the scripture. The scripture spoke to us of Heaven and Hell. The four sacred bitbeasts guarded the door to Heaven and Hell had its bitbeasts of darkness. My grandfather, the leader of the council at its time, believed there was another place called Purgatory. A place so isolated even the foulest of bitbeasts were not sent there. Purgatory was home to the beast. They called it the Leviathan, a serpent with multiple heads. It was sealed away by the four sacred bitbeasts."

"It was belief in this Leviathan that caused your grandfather to be kicked out of the council," Elder Roark pointed out. "This business with the Leviathan is nothing more but a story to scare the children at night." He rose to his feet. Elder Pierre also stood up.

"Sit down, both of you. If Ozuma is receiving these messages, then we should take heed. The world has already lost Stanley Dickinson and more lives will follow," Elder Myrah explained in a controlled tone.

Ozuma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's just one vision!"

"One of many more that will come. They say the Leviathan was imprisoned centuries ago, and when the King of Darkness has broken free of its chains, the Leviathan will once again rise."

"There is no written proof that this… Leviathan even existed! It's just a mythical creature!" Elder Roark argued. "Point me to a book of proof of this creature's existence and then I will believe. But if we have only your grandfather's words to look towards, then I refuse."

"How can we find proof then?" Ozuma said. "I will find it." Before it was too late. Hadn't the Leviathan said something about him dying if he failed to spread the message? He didn't want to die.

"Only one book is known to have information about the Leviathan. It was sold to a nobleman in Germany during the middle ages who had a fascination of such things. His surname was Jurgen, and his family bore the symbol of the beast, Griffolyon."

Robert Jurgen, the captain of the Majestics. Johnny had connections to him. If only he had known about this beforehand then he could've obtained contact details of Robert from Johnny. It wasn't like Robert's information could be pulled of the blading database either since they had never officially competed in the world tournament, hosting their own mini one instead.

"The Majestics. They're a blading team." Mariam had defeated Johnny in battle, and Johnny would most likely seek out a rematch for the sake of restoring dignity. Perhaps… Perhaps Mariam could get information out of Johnny? She wouldn't like the idea of being used this way, but he'd find a way to make it well her worth. "We can find this book, and I can bring it to you."

"If it is in the hands of the Jurgen family, I doubt they will part with it lightly knowing how special this book is."

Talking was getting nowhere. They had a name to work with – the Leviathan – and they knew where to find more information about the creature – the Jurgens. All that remained now was getting that book so the Elders could interpret the text. "I've got an idea, and I'm sure it will work. Give me a month and I will get that book."

"You failed to seal the sacred bitbeasts. Why should this task fall upon you?" Elder Pierre said.

Elder Rowena, the only female, had said nothing throughout the meeting but now she spoke. "Ozuma had the power to seal the bitbeasts, but he chose not to. He saw they were in good hands. Do I need to remind you, Pierre, that it was you who believed the bitbeasts should be sealed away?" Elder Pierre grumbled. "Then it's settled. Ozuma and his team will retrieve the book. This meeting is now dismissed."

Knowing he wasn't going to get another word out of them, Ozuma climbed to his feet and exited the courtyard.


	9. Truth and Lies

Thanks to Autumn for reviewing the previous chapter. No idea if anyone is still reading this... But here is a new chapter.

.

 **Chapter Eight: Truth and Lies**

Hilary's eyes fluttered open. Rays of sunlight washed over and she brought an arm to her face to shield her eyes from the bright light. Pain flooded her body – even the slightest movement caused immense pain, but she forced herself to sit upright. She looked around, finding herself surrounded by trees and wondered how she had gotten here in the first place. The last thing she remembered was purchasing supplies for a barbeque.

In the corner of her eyes, she spotted two people standing by a creek, both dressed in dirt-stained white cloaked robes. Her heart skipped a beat – who were these people? She thought about sneaking away, but she knew she wouldn't be able to escape unheard. The leaves covering the earth made sure remaining undetected would be impossible.

She lay down on the ground again and pretended to play dead. Perhaps they would ignore her. She shut her eyes, but not quite completely, parting them slightly just enough to keep an eye on the mysterious robed figures. Both of them had their backs turned to her. She looked around again, having second thoughts about escaping, her eyes resting on a couple of bushes nearby. Perhaps…

"…And what exactly were you planning on doing with her? Her teammates will come looking for her and we'll be outnumbered." The robed figure on the left spoke first, his tone laced with impatience.

A female spoke. "We could use her as bait! They'll come looking for her. We'll lead them into an ambush and we'll take their parts as our own. We've done it before!"

"I told you before – we only take what is necessary! We have enough parts to please him!" the male argued back.

"What other choice do we have? We have no money and no place to call home. We need money to survive, brother… We're hunters. That's who we are and that's how we'll always be remembered," the female snapped. The voices sounded vaguely familiar to her ears, but she couldn't quite determine the source in her current state. It was like a part of her memory had been lost during that attack. "You know I'm right, but you don't want to admit it. Face it, brother. We can't escape our past.

The male turned away and headed towards the place she had been lying before. "It seems like your little pet has escaped, Queen," he jeered.

Hilary pulled back from the opening in the bushes and kept her head down, hoping they wouldn't come looking for her. Escaping from that trainer with the headless horsemen had been lucky and she didn't want to find herself in another similar situation. King and Queen. Now she remembered. They had been talking about stealing parts in the city, and Hilary had stood up to them. In retaliation, Queen had attacked with her blade. Startled, Hilary had leaped out of the way, but unfortunately landed on a bad angle, and had knocked herself unconscious.

"Hilary! I know you're around here somewhere!" the female said. "Show yourself and you'll be given mercy."

Hilary edged backwards until her foot became stuck. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed her foot had become caught in a rope. Cursing at the bad luck, she tried to remove her foot, but only succeeded in making matters worse of herself. Her ankle throbbed. Holding back a frustrated growl, she reached down, wrapping her hands around her leg then tried to yank it free.

Before she could scream, she found herself jerked upwards. She flailed her arms around, trying to use her weight to break the rope, but it was far too strong. Her movements caught the attention of the siblings who both jerked their heads in her direction. "Like I said, you should've shown yourself instead of trying to escape," the female said, pulling back her hood.

It was Queen all right. King placed a hand on her shoulder, as if telling her to stand back. He held out a hand towards Hilary. "I didn't wish for our reunion to be like this," he said. "But we have no choice. You have to do whatever it takes to survive. One day you'll understand this."

"My friends are going to come looking for me," Hilary said, slapping his hand away. She climbed to her feet unaided, and glared. "And when they find me, you're going to regret hurting me."

Queen moved forward, lips curving into a smirk. "Good. That's what we want. We'll take their parts as our own and thus the world's strongest blades will be created. Once that is done, we can take our fare share and leave." She took a few more steps forward, now standing directly in front of her. "And how are you going to contact your friends? You have no phone on you."

Hilary dropped a hand to her pocket. Her phone had gone missing. Most likely Queen and King had taken it from her just to make things a lot more difficult. "Who are you working for?" she said, trying to remain calm. Panicking now would only give the hunters an even bigger advantage. _Your friends will find you,_ she told herself.

"That's none of your business, Hilary," Queen said. "Let's just say I pity anyone who stands in his way."

So it was a male they were working for though she didn't find that surprising considering most of the criminal masterminds they had encountered had been male. Boris, Zagart, Gideon, Barthaz… the only criminal female had been Dr. K, but she had died during the second tournament. "Why can't you say anything?"

King's expression turned solemn. "Because we can't. I know it's understand this, Hilary, but we really don't wish you or your friends harm. This tournament you're thinking of entering is dangerous, and it would be better to run while you had the chance. A war is coming, and not even Tyson can stop it." For once, she actually saw a genuine glint of fear in his eyes. Whoever they were working for had obviously had great influence over them.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Hilary said slowly.

Queen snorted. "I say we finish her off, King. She's a meddlesome girl this one."

"Drop it, Queen," King snapped. He sauntered forward and looked at Hilary. "Ignore Queen. You're right. We're frightened because we know what is coming, but we've been promised protection for playing our role. You can save yourself, Hilary. Don't end up as a casualty in this upcoming war."

"Speak for yourself," Queen mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

King reached down into his pocket and pulled out his blade, launcher and ripcord. Placing the blade on the launcher, he inserted the ripcord then raised his arms, angling it at the rope. "Brace yourself." He pulled his arm back, sending the blade forth.

The blade cut the rope and Hilary plummeted to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt. She spluttered, and spat out leaves and grains of dirt from her mouth then wiped any remaining pieces away with the back of her hand. "Ugh," she spat.

King reached down to assist her to her feet. Hilary took it, climbed up then almost toppled over, thanks to the weakness in her legs. Fortunately, King was there to catch her and he held her up, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Don't push yourself too hard, Hilary. You had a nasty fall. You're lucky though – if you had fallen an extra metre you would've died."

Queen rolled her eyes. "I still think this is a mistake."

"Shut it, Queen." He looked at Hilary. "You need rest. I'll take you to our base."

Hilary wished she had the strength to run away – something about this didn't feel right. What on earth were King and Queen doing out here in the woods and why was King acting so nice towards her now? Was it just a strategy to earn her trust? It paid to be cautious. She limped forward. Despite having no means to contact Tyson, she hoped he'd be able to find her before it was too late.

.

The bowling game was supposed to have been a bonding exercise for the team, yet they seemed more divided than ever. Brooklyn was lounging on the coach, reflecting on the past couple of days. Garland was trying hard to keep the team together, but some of them, namely Mystel, didn't seem to care.

Surely, it had to do something with that pink-haired girl from the White Tiger tribe. He honestly didn't see what was so special about her, and why Mystel was so fixated on her. "Brooklyn, whatever you're thinking, don't do it," a voice said to his right. Glancing over his shoulder and over the couch, Brooklyn spotted Ming Ming. She was frowning.

"And how could you possibly know what thoughts are running through my head?" he replied curtly.

She sat down next to him. "Because you're wearing that expression, 'I'm planning something devious' right now." She sighed, then added, "I don't see why it bothers you so much. You and Mystel were never close friends anyway, so why do you care who he spends his time with?"

Good question. Why did he care? He didn't even know who Mystel was before the BEGA League had come together. Actually, he didn't know any of his teammates. They were just strangers to him. But perhaps it was because they were living in turbulent times and it required people sticking together. His fellow teammates were some of the most highly skilled bladers in the world, but they, like him, were stuck in a bad situation.

"It might come as a surprise to you, Ming Ming, but I do actually care about this team. Like it or not, we're stuck together, so we might as well try and get along." He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back into the chair. "I sense trouble at this year's tournament, though really, that shouldn't be a surprise considering how the last few had turned out."

"You think Tyson is in danger?"

"He's the world's poster boy for beyblading… Of course he's in trouble."

"Have you had a vision?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "I haven't had any since my battle against Kai last year. It's like my… unfortunate loss there caused my ability to see into the future stop functioning." Zeus had been strangely quiet since the Tyson battle too. It wasn't like he had taken any serious damage, so he wasn't sure why Zeus had stopped responding. "You don't need a fortune teller to know there will be trouble at this tournament."

"And there's nothing we can do to help stop it," she said, crestfallen.

Brooklyn straightened. "That's where you're wrong, Ming Ming. We can help. We can find out who poses a threat and stop them before they even make it into the tournament. Who says all the action must take place during the global event?"

She raised an eyebrow. "We don't even know what were fighting against."

"That's what we're going to find out. We'll search for clues. Contact some of the other bladers. I'm sure they'd know something… how about visiting Tala and his friends? I'm sure he'd know something that could help us in our search." Though he suspected the Blitzkrieg Boys would refuse considering the history between the two teams. But really, it was Garland's fault. He was the one who made fools of them.

"Good luck talking to them."

"That's why you're going to talk to them."

Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, you heard right. You're the people person of this team, Ming Ming. And you're a girl. Maybe you can charm them."

"You're hilarious, Brooklyn," she said, shooting him a sour look. "I'm not going to talk with the Blitzkrieg Boys to offer them a peace treaty. It's your idea – you should be the one to talk with them."

"You're not afraid of them, are you?"

She eyes narrowed, but he couldn't help but laugh. " _No._ I just don't like being designated a role I had no say in. I will not be used like that, Brooklyn. If we're going to be a team, we're going to do this together."

"I'm just saying… Invite them over for dinner."

"You've got to be kidding me."

He shrugged. "The Blitzkrieg Boys aren't really any different from us. We've both been used by Boris, right? There's some sort of kinship there."

"I highly doubt they will see it that way."

"It's worth a try. We're trying to rebuild our reputation, and I think resolving tension with the other teams is a good place to start." Ming Ming still didn't look convinced. He tried again. "Look, I'd talk to them myself but I highly doubt they're even going to listen to a single word I have to say."

"And you think I will have better luck?"

He smirked. "You never unless you try… Maybe you can even give them one of your cds as a peace treaty."

She threw one of the cushions at his face. He just laughed in response. "You are insufferable, you know that?" She sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to Tala, but don't blame me if this doesn't work as planned." She climbed to her feet. "Just don't do anything while I'm gone, all right?"

"I'll be on my best behaviour, I promise."

Somehow, she didn't look to confident, but Ming Ming was going to find Tala as asked. Now he just had to break the news to Garland the B-Boys were going to come around for dinner. That was going to turn out well. But first, the issue with Mystel. The guy was supposed to be meeting his not-girlfriend on the hills this afternoon before sunset. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. Brooklyn was going to go in his place and talk Mariah into ending her friendship with the blond. Sure, it was cruel, but necessary.

Once Ming Ming had left, Brooklyn made his way towards Garland's room. He could convince Garland to stop Mystel from leaving if he wanted to, and Mystel would obey. No one in the right frame of mind would argue with Garland and expect to win. "Sorry, Mystel, but it's for the best. You'll understand it one day."

.

The debacle with Johnny had made local headlines. Robert was used to being in the papers for all the good reasons – his blading skills, his donations – but never for something like this. Not an hour would go by without some journalist trying to pry for details on the public meltdown. Not exactly the image he wanted the Majestics to have in lead up to the tournament.

Currently, he was seated at Oliver's kitchen table, discussing the plans for the future with Oliver and Enrique. Enrique wasn't fussed about it – he believed they were better off without Johnny, but Oliver disagreed. Robert could see both sides of the argument – reasons for keeping Johnny, and reasons for kicking him off the team.

"Look, I say we ditch him. Johnny never wanted to be part of a team anyway," Enrique pointed out. "He's made it pretty damn clear he doesn't want anything to do with us. We'd be fools to take him back."

Oliver shook his head. "He's part of our team, Enrique. Like it or not, we promised we would stick together no matter what. We are the champions of Europe and we should starting acting like champions. Right now we're the laughing stock of the world." Oliver pointed down at the latest newspaper. There was a badly drawn sketch of the team with the caption, 'majestics aren't so majestic after all' beneath it.

Enrique threw his hands up in the air. "Why are you defending him? He's done nothing but treat you like dirt over the years. You should be happy to see him go!"

Robert brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. He was starting to get a headache from all this debating. They had been at the table for hours now trying to find a solution. So far it had been nothing but 'let's complain about Johnny' from Enrique whilst Oliver tried to refute those comments. "Oliver is correct, Enrique. Jonathan is one of us, and we need him if we are to compete in this tournament. I'm going to contact him and let him know he is to meet with us at the registration building."

"Come on, Robert. See some sense! I know you find him annoying! He's always putting us down! He's always acting like a jerk to people! He thinks his some tough guy that can do whatever he wants because he has money."

"The last time I checked Enrique, you were the one who bought an expensive yacht to show off to your lady friends. I also recall you closed off an entire street in your hometown so you could have a party. For all of Jonathan's faults, he never flaunted his wealth in the same manner as you," Robert replied calmly. Enrique looked to argue back, but kept his mouth shut. He curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it down on the table.

"We shouldn't be fighting. Now more than ever we need to stick together. There's a bigger threat out there and if we're squabbling like teenagers, we'll be made vulnerable," Oliver said. And that was exactly why Robert enjoyed Oliver's company the most out of his teammates. He was rational, calm, and mature who always saw the bigger picture, something the other two lacked. "Enrique, I know Johnny can be quite difficult to get along with, but he's still our friend."

"Speak for yourself. He was never a friend of mine." Enrique stood up abruptly from his chair, placing both his hands on the edge of the table. "Maybe it would be better if we just disbanded."

"Do not be ridiculous, Enrique."

Oliver looked hurt. "How could you say that? Are we that unimportant?"

Raking a hand through his messy blond locks, Enrique said, "You said it yourself. The team is a joke now. We're jokes. Our good names have been tainted."

"Sit down, Enrique," Robert said tonelessly. He would've spared a chuckle if the situation at hand wasn't so serious. Enrique and Johnny were always at each other's throats and it was probably because they were more similar than they'd like to admit. Both stubborn, and both incredibly competitive. "Our team name might be the core of quite a few jokes, but we will not let their crude comments hurt us. We made a vow we would be a team. Our chance to compete last year was taken from us – I am not letting that happen again. Now if we are done acting like children, may I suggest we visit the registration centre?"

"Can't we do it online?" Oliver said.

Robert shook his head. "We could, but I'd rather do it in person. It'll give us a chance to talk with Jonathon as well."

"So we're really going to go and grovel at his feet?"

"Yes, and I expect you to be on your best behaviour. Do not bring further embarrassment to our team name," Robert said, narrowing his eyes at Enrique. Enrique didn't look happy, but he didn't bother trying to argue back. "Oliver, shall we take your car, or will you have your butler drive us?"

"My car is in for service," Oliver answered. "We can take a private blading bus."

A bus. How uncouth, but it would have to do. At least it was a private bus for bladers meaning it would be nice and quiet. It wasn't that he thought himself above people (well most people) but he found public buses to be noisy, smelly and cramped. Not to mention, the drivers were always rude. "All right. Call for a coach. I will pay the fee."

Oliver rose up from his chair and headed out into the hallway to make a phone call. Now it was just him and Enrique. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Robert. I can't promise I'll welcome Johnny back with open arms, but for the sake of the team, I'll try not to provoke him further."

"And that is all that I ask of you. Come now, let us head outside and wait for the coach to arrive," Robert said, rising from his chair. His headache was no longer as painful, but there was still a lingering pain. A good sleep would was all that was needed, and maybe a short vacation. What an eventful week it had been.

.

Hiro walked up to the counter to speak with the cashier. He had arrived at the specified destination, and now all he needed was his table. He hoped the blonde woman behind could help otherwise this was going to be a rather awkward moment. "Hello sir, how may I help you?" the woman greeted him, her bright blue eyes fixed on his face. He wondered if she recognized his face.

"I'm Hiro Granger. I'm supposed to be meeting with a man called Douglas today?"

She nodded. "Allow me to check, sir," she said, then turned to the screen nearby. "Granger… Hiro Granger… ah yes, there you are. You're seated at table thirteen," the woman said, glancing up from the screen. She raised an arm then pointed towards the far eastern corner towards a table for two. A frame of a beyblade dish was above it. "Douglas will be arriving shortly. Please be seated."

He thanked her and headed towards the table. The café was reasonably large – eight tables inside with two chairs each and the outdoors area had another eight tables. The tables outside were placed beneath large black and white umbrellas with a row of trimmed hedges separating each table. Each table had the usual salt and pepper shakers in the middle, a small jug of cold water, and two glasses. He sat down on the chair facing the entrance of the building.

The interior of the café wasn't like the others he had visited. This one had a map of the world on the western wall behind the counter with the main blading stadiums highlighted in each country. There was a television screen hanging down from the southern corner. Beneath it was a small stage which he believed was for local musicians to perform on.

The café also had a bar. He could see different types of wine, spirits and beer on the shelves behind the counter. It was a café that functioned as the typical place selling sweets and savouries and alcoholic beverages in the later part of the day. Not a bad way to make an income. It certainly made them stand out from the usual bunch.

Next to the stage was the fireplace. Since it was summer, the fireplace was empty. In winter, the pieces of wood would be added and lit to provide warmth from the cold. _Certainly an interesting place,_ he thought to himself, looking around, taking in his surroundings. Save for two tables outside, all were unoccupied. Either the place was quiet at this time of the day or the inside area had been closed for Douglas's arrival.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long for Douglas's arrival. The man was rather easy to spot. He was dressed in business attire, and carrying a black briefcase in his right hand. "Hiro Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you in person. I've heard much about you," Douglas said, sitting himself down on the opposite chair. He brought his hands to his black tie and adjusted it before speaking again. "You and I have much to discuss," he added, holding out his hand.

Hiro accepted his firm handshake. "And you're no stranger to me either, Douglas. You're the owner of the PBB Research Facility."

Douglas raked a hand through his tuft of blond hair and nodded. "Yes, and I still am as well. Although, I've taken the backseat in recent years allowing Judy to be the face of the company. She's been a great asset to me. I don't know where I would be without her." He reached down top open his briefcase, pulling out a handful of paper files. He placed them on the table. "Let's get straight to business, shall we? I'm sure you're wondering why I put an advertisement for a private coach."

"I assume you want someone to train your upcoming bladers?"

Douglas helped himself to a glass of water then poured one for Hiro. He brought the rim of the glass to his lips, took a few sips then put it back down again before continuing. "Your father is an archaeologist, am I correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"The reason I've arranged this meeting with you is to share with you my goals for the future of the PBB. Your father has been working for me for the past few years and recently made a discovery that could change the world of blading," Douglas said, helping himself to another sip of water. He wiped his mouth then pointed down at the papers on the desk. Hiro saw an image of his father and his team standing before a wall with odd scripture. "Your father found this wall a couple of weeks ago. At first, we assumed it was just some ancient writing of a long lost tribe… but a team at the PBB looked into it further and discovered it was actually biblical."

Hiro lifted a brow. "Biblical?"

"When translated the writing reads, 'let those curse it who curse the day who are ready to rouse up the Leviathan.' I do not know if you are a man of faith, but those words come from Job 3:8."

Hiro frowned. "That sounds like a warning." The Leviathan. His mother had spoken of the beast in stories she told him when he was a young child, but it was just a myth. A creature people had made up to cause fear. "The Leviathan is just a myth. A creature created for the purpose of telling horror stories."

"That's what I thought myself, but your father and his team discovered the wall is actually a gate. We ran a few tests and picked up signs of activity behind the wall. What we found was astonishing." He flipped a few papers over until he reached one with an image of a machine cracking. "The power levels were so high that our machines could not record them."

"A powerful bitbeast then," Hiro said slowly. "We're always coming across new bitbeasts."

"This is no ordinary bitbeast. This is the Leviathan beast, the king of all bitbeasts," Douglas explained. "Haven't you heard the stories? They say this creature is a serpent with multiple heads possessing a power so great that even the four sacred bitbeasts were afraid of it. The stories say the sacred bitbeasts could not defeat the beast so they sealed it away instead. Can you imagine what that power could do if transferred into a blade?"

Hiro raised both eyebrows. So this was why Douglas had brought him here. He probably wanted to enlist the man to coach a few amateur bladers to harness the power of the Leviathan… "But you said the bitbeast is hiding behind some ancient gate? How are you supposed to it?" He grabbed a glass of water and drank some of it feeling oddly parched.

"I've had the team working on some machinery that can unlock the gate. When the gate opens, we'll absorb the power and transfer it into specially designed beyblades. I want you to train these bladers so they can use this power and win the tournament."

So it all came back down to beating Tyson. "Does Judy know what she's working towards?"

"I'll tell her in due time when she's played her part."

Douglas had all this planned out. Perhaps that's why he handed the reigns over to Judy whilst he was busy working on this project unbeknownst to the rest of the world. Smart move. But why did he want to win the tournament? To prove technology is superior to blading spirit? "I suppose you already have a team of bladers ready then."

"Yes… they're all bladers Tyson has encountered over the years. Judy had all this data on the Bladebreakers so we were able to track down names and such. Carlos. Alan. Bruno. Alexander," Douglas explained, pulling out a file which had their faces on it.

Hiro read the details. Carlos used to be in a gang with Kai called the Blade Sharks. Alan was Max's closest friend from before the days of the Bladebreakers. Bruno was part of the White Tiger tribe and Alexander was a BIOVOLT boy. But none of them had achieved anything notable. They were amateurs. He looked up, confused. "You can hardly call them professionals."

Douglas leaned forward. "That's where you come in, Hiro. We just need these boys to handle the basics of blading and we'll let science do the rest. We'll create bitbeasts again using the power of the Leviathan."

"What if they can't control it?" Which was highly likely considering how amateur they were.

Douglas shrugged. "You're the best coach this sport has seen. I'm sure you'll do everything in your power to ensure they can control this power, won't you Hiro?" He pulled out another file. "This is what I'm offering you. A few million dollars should the team succeed. You'll have enough money to do whatever you please," he added, pulling out a pen from his pocket. He pushed the paper to Hiro and pointed at the dotted line at the bottom.

Hiro read the text on the paper. Nothing suspicious. Just an agreement to sign a contract accepting he will coach Douglas's chosen. He picked up the pen, weighing up the consequences in his mind. Accept and unleash the most powerful bitbeast on the planet and ruin lives or reject and die a slow painful death and be buried in an unmarked grave.

"I'll coach your team," Hiro said, picking up the pen to sign his signature. What other choice did he have? He couldn't turn his back on a chance to work this close to the Leviathan bitbeast having seen how powerful it was in the pictures. Tyson and his friends would need all the insider knowledge they could get. It could be his way of apologizing to him. Make things right. He signed the paper. "Done. I'm glad to be on board, and I look forward to coaching your team."

Douglas smiled, taking his pen back. "Excellent. Welcome aboard."

.

Tyson paced back and forth, staring down at the image on his phone. An hour had passed and still no response from Hilary. Was she safe? Where on earth was she anyway? Why hadn't she replied? Oblivious to his surroundings, he was caught by surprise when he felt someone tap him on the back. Startled, he jumped. Max was looking back at him, holding a plate with pizza on it. "Jeez Max, don't creep up on me like that."

"If we had waited any longer, there'd be no pizza left so I thought I'd bring it to you instead." The blond frowned. "What's going on, Tyson?"

Tyson looked down at his phone. "It's Hil. She hasn't called back. It's not a school night either so that's no excuse. She always replies to a message within a few minutes. It shouldn't take this long." Nausea gripped his head. What if she had been caught by the people who had Stanley Dickinson? Hilary couldn't defend herself as she didn't have a beyblade. "She shouldn't be out there on her own."

"Come on, Tyson. It's Hilary. She's strong."

"She doesn't have a blade, Max. I need to go back out there and find her."

"We'll go together. She's a part of this team too, and she's also my friend," Max replied. "Kenny might be able to track her down using her cell phone. We will find her, Tyson."

Tyson nodded, drawing in a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to panic. Max was right. They would find Hilary, and Hilary would be unharmed. "You're right. She'll be fine," he said, assuring himself. Positive thinking. Without saying another word, he followed Max back into the main area where the rest of the team sat down around a pizza box. Surprisingly, Kai was there, and it seemed he had taken a slice of pizza for himself, judging by the sauce on his right hand.

"By the time Hilary gets here there won't be any pizza," Rei said.

"Hilary isn't coming tonight," Tyson said. "She's not replying to her calls and that's not like her. We're going to find her."

Kai was up on his feet within seconds. "We'll set out at once. Kenny, can you track down her phone?"

Tyson frowned, but pushed the thought aside. Kai might pretend he didn't care, but he was always there to lend a helping hand when needed. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to his teammates especially since he had declared himself as captain. Tyson looked to Kenny. "Can you?"

"I can try…" he said, tapping away at his keyboard. "There's a site that can help you track it down. Do you know if she registered for anything like that?" he said, looking towards Tyson.

"Knowing Hilary, probably."

Kenny nodded. "I'll need her email address and password."

Tyson walked over and sat down besides Kenny, peering over the shoulder. He was on a website called eTrack. "Here, let me type it in." Kenny looked hesitant, but he allowed Tyson control of the keyboard. He didn't know what her password was, but he knew the email address. Now all he had to do was guess.

"Do you know the password?"

He typed in 'Hilary' as the password. No success. Maybe she wasn't as vain as he thought she was.

"Try bitbeast," Max suggested.

Tyson typed that in as well. "Nope. Any other suggestions? What else does Hilary like?"

"Maybe not what, but whom," Kai said. "Try a name. BBA?"

Tyson tried Kai's suggestion, but was denied again. He typed in the names of their bitbeasts but still nothing. "Try your name, Tyson. You are on the receiving end of most of her remarks," Rei pointed out. It was worth a try. Tyson typed his name into the password box, and was surprised to see it accepted. "Wow. I've never been used as a password before." He hit enter.

"If her phone is on, this site will tell us where it is," Kenny said, waiting for the bar to finish loading. After a few more minutes of waiting, the bar was full. The page refreshed showing an image of a phone in a forest not too far away from the city's centre. "She's in the woods."

"Then we better get moving before night falls," Kai said, moving towards the door. He had a hand in his right pocket. Most likely his fingers were clasped around his blade. "Consider this our first real test as a team after the long break. We'll split into two groups – that'll make it easier to flank her captors and take them by surprise. Rei, you're with me."

Rei moved to stand at Kai's side. "I'm ready for anything."

A fair split. Kai and Rei always seemed to end up on the same side and Tyson with Max. Tyson wasn't sure why that was – it was almost as if Kai didn't think they'd be able to work together. Probably because of their personalities being so different. He probably figured they'd spend the entire time bickering and get distracted from the task at hand.

"We'll see you there. Keep safe, guys," Max said.

"You too," Rei replied. He followed Kai out of the door.

Tyson turned to his companions. "Well Kenny? Lead the way. Hilary's waiting for us."


	10. The Quest for Power

A much faster update, huzzah! Thanks to Cutetyhil (for reading this story again), Set Your Heart Free and Desires of Autumn Leaves for reviewing the previous chapter.

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 **Chapter Nine: The Quest for Power**

A clap of thunder echoed throughout the valley as threatening clouds rolled across the sky. Patches of light green appeared in parts of the clouds evidence that hail was on the way. The closer the storm came to the city, the louder and more threatening the thunder sounded. Anyone caught in the storm's path would face its fury directly. While most people rushed back to their homes, one man refused to go into hiding.

He was an elderly man covered in a black hooded robe equipped with a crooked walking stick which he used to support his aging frame. He hobbled down the street, pulling the robe over his head as rain started to pour. It didn't take long until his clothes were drenched, but the man continued to walk determined to reach his destination.

A building six times the size of a common house sat atop a gentle hill completely isolated from the rest of the city. The walls were white, while the roof was as dark as the night. The Hiwatari mansion. He quickened pace as best as his body would allow walking through the now deserted streets. Fortunately, the bottom of the hill wasn't too far off and before he knew it, he reached the cobblestone path. The black spear gate was already open; he suspected storms in the past or rowdy kids had somehow managed to force it open.

Closing the gates behind him, he hobbled up the path as the rain continued to pour. It blurred his vision slightly, but he knew the path well. He had walked on it many times. Digging a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a big brass key then placed it in the keyhole unlocking the door. Pushing the door open, he was greeted to the familiar scent of home. "This place has been empty for years," he mumbled, closing the door behind him.

It wasn't hard to imagine why the place had been empty over a year. After his fall, word had gotten around the Hiwatari mansion was cursed. No one wanted to sell it. No one wanted to buy it. Youngsters often dared each other to jump over the gate and explore the house, but no one actually did it, fearing the owner would someday return. "I will get my revenge..." he muttered.

With cautious steps, he made his way up the spiral staircase, clinging onto the railings for support. It took awhile to reach the top but eventually made it and immediately headed to his room. "Now... where did I keep you?" he asked, eyes scanning the room. His gaze fell upon his desk. He walked over and pulled out the drawers searching for the chest box. There! In perfect condition as well.

The box had three locks on it. Reaching a hand under his shirt, Voltaire grabbed another key. It was a tiny silver key designed for this chest alone. He inserted the key and unlocked the first lock, then proceeded to unlock the other two. The chest clicked open. A slow smile crossed his face. "Black Dranzer." A truly powerful bitbeast so great it surpassed even Dragoon in raw strength. The bitbeast's potential was unknown, but Voltaire knew it could cause a great deal of damage.

He sat down looking at the marvellous beyblade. There was only one blader in the world worthy enough of wielding the bitbeast's power. A blader with a tainted past. His grandson, Kai Hiwatari. "You thought you could escape your destiny, Kai..." he cackled, lifting the blade out of the chest. "Did you really think you could run away from your destiny? Black Dranzer is yours and yours alone. You _will_ use it." His expression darkened. The last time he had met with his grandson, Kai had turned down his offer to use the dark bitbeast.

This time he would not say no. It was time to make his comeback and complete what Boris was unable to finish. Steal all bitbeasts and use them as weapons of war. Stanley had already been killed. That was a step in the right direction. His boys had done well to take him out. Criminal mastermind Boris was also behind bars. Better still. Less competition and more for him to take.

The BEGA League and the Demolition Boys were a problem. Both had ties to Boris, and there was no telling if they were still loyal towards him. Tala was less likely to be loyal, but the BEGA League was mystery to him. Of course, Kai and his teammates were still around being a nuisance as always. But things were going to change now that he was back in town.

"So, what's the plan, Voltaire?" a BIOVOLT boy said. His name was Pluto, and he was only sixteen years of age. "Stanley has been killed by some unknown assailant, and now it's time for us to make our move?" he added, eager to impress.

Voltaire sat at his desk. How odd it felt to be back at home after many years spent behind bars. "We've come for a bitbeast, but not just any ordinary one. You remember stories of the Leviathan as a young child, yes?"

Pluto nodded, pushing back wispy brown curls from his dark eyes. "I remember you speaking of it in our first briefing session. Steal all the bitbeasts in the world to be used as weapons of war and we could use them to open the gate to release the true king."

A crooked smile crossed his face. The boy had a good memory. Boris's teachings had been effective after all. That was one thing the man did right, but he was a fool. An overconfident fool. "Good, you remember. We're not going to enter the tournament, but you and the rest of your boys, are going to find this bitbeast. When it's found, we're going to take it as our own to be used."

Pluto nodded. "And what of Black Dranzer?"

"Black Dranzer is for my grandson."

"You're talking about Kai, right?"

He nodded. "Yes. When I take everything from him, he will succumb to the power of Black Dranzer." No one defied his orders, not even those who shared the same blood. "The world will be ours for the taking."

"What about Tala? The BEGA League?"

Tala could be a problem, but he could be persuaded. He hated Boris, but that hatred did not extend to Voltaire. "Tala and his friends are part of BIOVOLT and therefore they will not be harmed. Whether they like it or not, the Demolition Boys are a product of my creation, and they will return. It's only a matter of time."

"And BEGA?"

"A product of Boris and therefore are a threat to us. They must be stopped at all costs."

"What about Tyson?"

Ah, the world champion. The boy responsible for putting an end to his plans of world domination. The BBA's poster boy. "He will know what true fear is by the time this tournament is over. Boris was merely a newborn when compared to myself. Take a group of your men and track him down. Make constant attacks. Keep him busy and he won't have time to interfere with our plans."

"Understood, sir." The boy bowed then took his leave.

Voltaire's smile widened. "This time, I will not fail."

.

Mariam was the first to greet him. She stood directly in front of him then opened her mouth to speak. "What did the Elders say?" Joseph and Dunga were nearby, their eyes full of questions. They had ambushed him the moment he had exited the courtyard, eager to know just exactly what was going on. Had they been standing out here all this time trying to eavesdrop?

"We have a serious problem on our hands and the Majestics hold the answer to solving it," he said, getting straight to the point. Dunga made a derisive snort at the mention of the Majestics. Ozuma cleared his throat and continued. "Robert holds a book. One of a kind and the last of its kind as well. We need to obtain it so we can understand more about this threat we face."

"And what threat would that be?" Joseph said.

"The Elders described a bitbeast so powerful, he could not be defeated. Instead he was locked up in a cage in a place called Purgatory by the four sacred bitbeasts. They call him the Leviathan, the true king of darkness," Ozuma explained. The reactions of his friends ranged from confusion, to fear to uncertainty. This wasn't the news they expected to hear, and he didn't blame them for being concerned. He too was still trying to make sense of the entire thing.

Mariam took in a deep breath and exhaled. "And naturally our salvation rests in the hands of a group of stuck-up rich bladers. How fitting. This is like a bad joke."

"So you want us to get this book? That's no problem, Ozuma," Dunga said. "We'll just beat them up until they surrender."

Mariam rolled her eyes. "No you big oaf. That's not going to work. They might be rich, but they're neither stupid nor helpless. Their family name is important to them, as are their skills in battle. They're about fairness, and they'll honour a deal." Johnny had the chance to complain, but he accepted his loss. Other bladers would just whine until they got what they wanted.

"You took the words right out of my mind," Ozuma said, giving her an approving look. He then added, "And that's why Mariam, I want you to work on befriending Johnny."

Her eyebrows arched up. She made a disbelieving snort then said, "Befriend Johnny? Are you kidding me?" Dunga snickered, exchanging high-fives with Joseph. She cast a sideways glare at Dunga then looked back at Ozuma. "You're better equipped than I am to deal with someone like Johnny. You're our leader, and you're the strongest of us. Fight him in a duel and make him give up Robert's location. The rest of us will break in and steal that book."

Joseph whistled. "I like that plan. Break into a rich guy's house and rob him."

Ozuma shook his head. "If I was told correctly, you're the one who challenged him to a fight, Mariam. He's going to want to battle only you. Use that to your advantage – you have him on a leash. He's now your responsibility. Don't make this anymore difficult than it already is."

"In other words, you want me to spend one on one quality time with the pompous jerk?"

Joseph sniggered. "Come on sis. At least he'll be more fun than that blond from the Bladebreakers. What was his name? Max? If you're lucky, he might even take you out in his fancy car… or yacht. Do you think he has a yacht?"

Shrugging, Dunga answered with, "I thought the blond kid had the yacht. Johnny looks more like the type to have his own fighting ring."

"Yeah, you're right. He does look like one of those wannabe tough guys. Kinda like Kai from the Bladebreakers. You think he's trying to compensate for something? Maybe Mariam can find out." Joseph looked at Mariam with a smirk. She glared back, and he snickered in response.

Ozuma nodded. "Only for as long as necessary until he gives you what we seek."

"And what will you three be doing while I play 'court a royal'?" Mariam replied, ignoring Joseph's comment. Bringing up Max was a touchy topic. Ozuma wasn't quite sure what was going on between them, but whenever Max was mentioned, Mariam would always change the topic. "I don't suppose you'll be staying at home and relaxing while I do the hard work?"

"We'll be keeping an eye out for information," Ozuma noted. "I want to remain close to the Elders encase they have more information. I can't help but feel they're withholding details. Joseph and Dunga, scope out the competition for the qualifying rounds. We need to know what we're up against."

"You got it. Come on, Dunga. Maybe we can pit our skills against some of the locals. Mariam can't have all the fun," Joseph said, leading Dunga out of the house. "Maybe we can buy more doughnuts while we're out too."

Once the two boys had left, Mariam turned back to Ozuma. "Are you going to be all right on our own?"

"I'll be fine, Mariam. What's the worst that can happen?"

"I know you can handle yourself, but still… be careful. I mean it, Ozuma." She then sighed. "I'm going to find Johnny. Maybe I can convince him to buy me dinner." Her eyes lit up. Ozuma could just imagine what ideas were running through her mind. To be dined by a rich guy though he found it hard to imagine Johnny doing such a thing. Still, it would keep Mariam entertained.

"Just don't push the guy too hard."

She smirked. "I can handle Dunga just fine. Johnny won't be a problem." She turned around to leave. Before stepping out the door, she glanced over her shoulder and added, "I might not be home for dinner tonight, so just go and get something without me."

With that said, she left. Ozuma shook his head though he couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. As he suspected, Mariam had mapped out a list of ideas on what she wanted from Johnny already. He almost felt a pang of sympathy for the man. What Mariam wanted, she got. "Stay safe, Mariam. Keep him on a leash."

.

It had been many years since she had last set foot in a fancy restaurant. 'Taste the Aroma' was a five-star restaurant built atop a rotating tower, giving diners the best possible view of the city. Diners had the choice between the buffet and the three course fine dining menu. The last time she had come to such a place was with her former husband, Trevor Tate, on a Valentine's Day.

She sat down at the table and waited for the mysterious person to arrive. Chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, and all the tables were black and white. Candles were placed in the middle of each table paired with the usual salt and pepper shakers. The chairs were also black to match the top cloth.

Her table was placed right next to a window. At least it gave her something to do while she waited. At three hundred metres above sea level, there wasn't anything she couldn't see. She could see the vast ocean spread out towards the horizon, the tall skyscrapers of the city's central hub, the forest towards the east, and the hundreds of suburbs spread out across the land. Every household had a story to tell.

"I trust I am not interrupting your thoughts?"

Judy pulled away from the window and glanced up. Her eyes widened. A man of about six foot something with blonde hair and dark eyes looked down at her, a smile spreading across his lips. He was dressed in a black suit with a blue tie. "Douglas?" The man in the mysterious email was her boss?

"That is correct," he said, sitting down in the chair across from her. He took her right hand and lowered his head, kissing the skin before pulling away. "You seem surprised. You were expecting someone else?"

Flustered, Judy stuttered. "Uh, no, of course not. It's just… it's not every day you get taken out to dinner with your boss."

He chuckled. "You deserve a break, Judy. You've been working hard."

"There is a new tournament coming up that I have to prepare for. The rules have changed, and that means we need to change our techniques if we hope to stand a chance this year," she said quickly, feeling her cheeks redden. How embarrassing to be caught off guard like this. "You could have at least informed me you were coming then I could've been better prepared."

At least she was dressed for the occasion. For most of her days, she wore a purple knee-length dress with her white lab coat over the top. But today? She had gone the extra mile ditching the short dress for a black deep v neck ball gown. It was the same one she had used on her wedding night. "You look stunning as always, Judy," Douglas said. "Don't blame yourself. I've been meaning to take you out for some time now, but work can be quite the distraction."

She hoped the redness in her cheeks had faded. "How is work anyway? You've spent a lot of time overseas."

"I've been in Australia visiting the mining communities. Tyson's father has been working on a project for me over at Mount Isa in inland Queensland for the past couple of years. That's where I've been living since I handed control over to you. It's hot, dusty and quite lonesome, but it has to be done." He leaned forward. "I've booked a flight for us both to fly down to Australia as early as tomorrow morning."

Wait. What? "Tomorrow morning?"

"It's sudden, but your services are required. I've already organized for a team and our equipment to be flown over as well, so you don't need to worry about any of that." He leaned back in his chair and readjusted his tie. "You're going to love it, Judy. This will change everything for us both. For the world of science and progress. I haven't been this excited for a tournament in years."

"That's very early, Douglas, and so sudden."

"Just relax. Everything will be there in time. Besides, I have a property there. It'll be like being home. It wouldn't be the first time you've stayed at my place."

True. During the shaky period with Trevor, Judy had found comfort with her boss. It was wrong, she knew, but he was the only person willing to lend her a hand during those unstable times. He was the person who gave her the job as head of the science department after all. No one knew about their little affair, and she hoped it remained that way. How would Max react if he knew his mother was the reason behind the divorce? That her fling with Douglas had resulted in her marriage with Trevor breaking down? How would the rest of the world react to that scandal?

"What do you need my help for?

"I need you help to free a bitbeast."

"Bitbeast extraction. From what? A special rock again?"

He shook his head. "Even better. A gate deep in the mines of Mount Isa. I need your team of professionals to unlock it, and use their tools to transfer its power into these beyblades I have had carefully designed."

"What sort of bitbeast is it?"

His grin widened. "The Leviathan."

Her expression hardened. "So you found its location."

"Tyson's father found it. He's the one we have to thank."

Judy brought a hand to her temples and rubbed them, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Another extraction. The last time that had happened Cerberus had been unleashed upon the world. "This could be dangerous. You saw what happened the last time we extracted a bitbeast."

"This will be different. This time, we know what we're dealing with."

She wasn't so sure, but who was she to argue with her boss? "All right. I'll pack my bags tonight."

"I knew you would understand." He picked up the menu just as a waitress came over. "Now that's settled, shall we order dinner? I'll cover the costs. Pick whatever you want. I want this to be a night to remember."

The waitress turned to face Judy. "I'm Samantha, and I'll be your waitress for tonight. What would you like to order?"

Judy picked up her menu and scanned through the list. Most of the items she had never heard of before in her life. The price for a standard meal averaged at around forty dollars. May as well make the most of it since she wasn't the one paying. "For the entrée, I will have char grilled quail with Persian fetta and pear salad. For the main meal, I'll try the duck risotto with asparagus, baby spinach, porcini mushrooms, truffle oil and shaved grano pandano."

"And dessert?"

Would there even be room left in her stomach for dessert? "Chocolate crème brulee with a pistachio and macadamia wafer." It made her sick just thinking about all that food.

"Wine?"

She looked at selection of red wines. None of them looked familiar. "I'll have a glass of Carchelo Monastrell."

"An excellent choice." Douglas looked down at the menu and made his selections. "For white wine, I'll have the Montevina Pinot Grigio. For my entrée, I'll have the deep fried camembert with cranberry chutney and garnish. I'll have the slow roasted rack of lamb on truffled mash and carrot creamed baby spinach and shallot jus for my main. And for dessert, I'll take the apple tarte tatin served with cinnamon ice-cream."

The waitress wrote down the information then smiled. "It won't be long. Enjoy your night." She took the menus then headed towards the computer to enter the order.

"Tell me, how are the All-Stars progressing?"

Casual conversation. That she could work with. With the formal part out of the way, perhaps it'd be easier to relax in front of her boss. She opened her mouth and started to explain the new schedule for the team. As long as the conversation related to work, the night would be bearable.

.

Night was fast approaching. Within an hour, they'd be walking around in complete darkness. Now that they were far from the city, they'd have to rely on other means for light. Fortunately, their phones had uses outside making calls. "Any idea where we are going, Kai?" Rei said, pulling out his phone, activating its torch light.

Kai activated his one as well and shone it forward. They were at the forest border now, and it was deathly quiet. Hilary's captors were waiting somewhere deep with the forest. He wondered if they watching them right now. The fingers on his right hand clasped around his blade. "We keep following this path. The signal came from somewhere within the heart of the woods."

Tyson and the others had taken the entrance from the western side. "I was wondering, but why'd you pair up with me?"

"Is that a problem?" Kai said, looking over his shoulder.

"No, I'm just curious that's all. We always seem to end up on the same side. Just an observation."

"If you must know, it's because Tyson and I can't work together. Not because I dislike him, but we work better apart," he answered, keeping his eyes focused on the path ahead. "Call it a personality clash if you will. Just because we're on the same team, doesn't mean we're compatible."

"Solid answer." There was silence then, "I suppose we'll be going back to the old format? Tyson, Max and I do most of the battles and you step in as a last resort?"

They were the olden days when he didn't want to be affiliated with the team. Those days had long since passed. "No. I want everyone to have a fair chance, Rei. We'll draw straws. Whoever draws the shortest one misses out. I want to blade first. Tyson should sit the first round out. I think he'll find it difficult to concentrate on the first day blading in the tournament without Stanley watching. He'll need to ease into it. You know how he is with pressure-high situations."

He continued moving forward, stepping over a moss-covered log. No signs of any footprints on the ground, but they were heading in the right direction. If only it was earlier in the day where light wasn't an issue. "Good plan. I'll battle after you then Max can go. We'll start drawing the straws for the first round and- Did you hear that?"

Kai stopped, and turned around. Rei was frozen in place, looking directly ahead. If Rei sensed something, then there was no reason to shrug it off. His training in the White Tiger Hills made it easier for him to notice things others normally wouldn't. That was another reason why he chose Rei as his blading partner. He was naturally observant. "What do you hear?"

"Crinkling of leaves. There's someone up ahead." He pulled out his blade and placed his Driger on the launcher. Kai did the same. From the shadows emerged a group of four bladers, all whom were male, their expressions vacant. "Stop moving or we attack," Rei said, his fingers resting on the ripcord.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kai the traitor," one of the boys said, stepping forwards to introduce himself. His hair was a shade of dark green. "It's been a couple of years since we last saw you. I would've thought you'd send us a Christmas card or something, but I suppose we never meant anything to you," the boy drawled.

Kai noticed odd tattoos on both their arms. All were identical, and designed to look like a black phoenix rising up from the ashes. He was strongly reminded of Black Dranzer. "You're from the Abbey." Who else would wear the black phoenix on their arms?

"He does remember, after all! It's been what, three years since you last visited? You were supposed to make us strong, Kai, but you turned your back on us. I really shouldn't be surprised – you do have a habit of switching allegiances often." He lifted his arms and stretched them out to the sides. "And you're right. We are from the Abbey."

"Boris?"

The leader snorted. "Not Boris. Think again. Think closer to home, Kai."

Coldness poured through him. If not Boris, then… Voltaire? No. It couldn't be. Voltaire was supposed to be locked up behind some prison in Russia, not here on the loose. "Voltaire." His grandfather.

"They could be lying, Kai," Rei said.

"They're not." He lowered his blade.

"Not going to fight us, Kai? Have you turned limp?" One of the other boys taunted. His words were met with laughter from his companions. "Years outside the Abbey have made a weakling of you. You were strong when you were with us."

Kai snorted. "I'm not going to deny the training was effective, but you're wrong about me being weaker. I'm stronger now than I ever was as a Balkov Abbey lab rat." That struck a nerve. The smirks faded from their faces.

"You can act all tough now, Kai, but you'll regret ever leaving us. Voltaire has a plan, and it's going to work. We'll be strong once again, and the world will cower before us. With Stanley out of the way, there's little resistance."

Rei lowered his blade. "You were the ones who were behind the shooting of Stanley Dickinson then?"

"No, someone else can take credit for that, but now we can act. The BBA won't stand in our way."

So, Voltaire had amped up his game. The old delusional fool thought he now had the upper hand. "Why wait so many years to attack now? Too afraid to do anything while Boris was around?" Kai jeered.

"We're searching for something of great power. Something stronger than Black Dranzer. Stronger than Zeus. But we're not going to tell you what it is or you'll only try to stop us," one of the boys said. The smirks returned now. "All we can say is that Voltaire is going to use its power and you're going to lose everything you care about. Attack now!" The boys launched their blades.

"Driger!"

"Go Dranzer!"

Driger and Dranzer flew forward into the heat of the battle. "Tiger Claw attack!" Rei ordered. His bitchip glowed. His Driger bitbeast emerged from the column of light and lunged forward, swiping his claw at one of the blades. Fortunately for their sake, the Biovolt blades were weak and easily knocked back. "Don't hold back, Driger! Give them everything you have!"

"Attack Dranzer! Burn them all! Use Incinerate!" Seconds later, Dranzer emerged. The phoenix uttered a cry then took to the air. She flew in circles then dove, her entire body covered in flame. Dranzer crashed down on the opponent's blades. The embers from her body clung onto the damaged blades burning through the metal.

"No way!"

"Impossible!"

With their blades destroyed, the Biovolt boys took a few steps back, then turned around, retreating deeper into the forest. "Cowards," Kai spat, recalling his blade. "They issue a fight and they can't even finish it."

Driger returned to his chip. "Biovolt back, huh? With Voltaire too."

"And they were responsible for murdering Stanley because he stood in their way," Kai finished. A bitbeast stronger than Black Dranzer? What kind of bitbeast could be that powerful? "This year just got a whole lot more interesting."

"Especially since you're grandfather has returned to the fray. He's probably been biding his time behind bars waiting for Boris to be removed. I'd say he had a lot of time to think whilst in jail," Rei concluded. "He's going to come after you, Kai. You know that, right?"

And mostly likely try and convince him to join his cause using the family excuse. "I'm not going down that road again, Rei. I've seen where it ends, and I don't want to go back there. Besides, who is going to captain the Bladebreakers if not me?" Rei responded with a nod. "Here's hoping Tyson, Max and Kenny have found Hilary."

Rei didn't budge. He looked worried. "You think Biovolt got to her?"

"No. They don't know her."

"They would if they had been watching the tournament."

Shaking his head, Kai answered, "Kidnapping isn't Voltaire's style. He'd rather lure you into a trap then strike and humiliate you. He uses words to convince you working for him is the right choice to make. He makes you believe that he can help you, and that he has the answers you seek. He makes you believe that he cares for you… But that's just part of the act. I know it all too well. He's the master manipulator."

 _And to think I once loved you,_ he thought sourly. _To think there was a time I was proud to call you grandfather. What a fool I was, but I will never fall for his games again._

"How many more do you think are out there?"

"An army. Voltaire and Boris recruited a lot of people. All part of the grand master plan. Boris selected children from broken families, knowing they'd be easier to manipulate. My parents died when I was young. I was enlisted into the Abbey and forced to train all day long to become the perfect soldier. I thought I was special back then."

"Well, it's a good thing you escaped. You could've ended up like one of them, a mindless zombie."

Kai forced a grin. "We'll have to stop them. Whatever they are searching for, they can't get their hands on it."

"You were right. This year is going to be our most challenging yet, but Driger and I are ready for anything. We'll put an end to Voltaire, and anyone else who tries to ruin the spirit of beyblading."

"And we'll have to find out what exactly this bitbeast is they're searching for, but first, let's find Hilary then we can worry about Voltaire later." Rei didn't speak further. He put his blade back into his pocket and continued following Kai deeper into the forest. A few weeks had passed since Stanley's death, and already so much had happened. What else could go wrong?


	11. The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Thanks to Infernapeblaze and dragoon galaxy storm for reviewing the previous chapter

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 **Chapter Ten: The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend**

Ming Ming walked down the path, admiring the scenery. It wasn't often she took walks, but today her walk had purpose. Find the Blitzkrieg Boys and invite them over for dinner. Biting her bottom lip, she tried to calm her nerves. What was there to be worried of? It was simply making an offer. It wasn't like they would try and hurt her. Would they?

She remembered hearing the commentators mentioning Tala's past before a battle once. Something about him having a shady past. At first, she thought he was into drugs and was a recovering addict, but it was so much more than that. She learned from her research that Tala had grown up in an abbey owned by Boris, a home for orphans to be trained as soldiers. No wonder he rarely smiled.

It made her dislike Boris even more. He had taken their childhoods away. What was supposed to be a period of innocent fun had become something else entirely. It was forced seclusion. It was mental and physical abuse. What sort of obscene things had the boys been forced to endure? They would've been so young none of it would've made any sense to them. It broke her heart.

Maybe that's why Brooklyn had chosen her to be the one to do the talking. If he or Garland came down to invite the Blitzkrieg Boys over for dinner, it would probably end up in a fight. That's how the boys solved things in her experience. With their blades usually, but if that failed, they'd use their fists.

"Now where would someone like Tala go to at night?" she said aloud. It wasn't as if this city was known for its nightlife. They had one club, but it was currently undergoing major redevelopment and wouldn't be opened for another three months. The only source of entertainment was blading. She figured he'd probably be at one of the night blading parks.

She changed direction, and crossed the road. Up ahead, she could see some lights shining down on grassy plains below. The blading night park. It was open to anyone, but most people opted to blade during the day. Night time blading was only for the dedicated, and the night owls in the population. Picking up her pace, she made her way towards the front entrance.

The night park consisted of three normal dishes. They were half the size of the tournament ones, but still provided ample practice. Two of the three dishes were occupied. She spotted Tala in the centre battling against Bryan, and Spencer blading against someone a third of his height. She didn't recognize him.

Taking in a deep breath, she walked beneath the arch way and headed over towards Tala. "I never took you boys for being night owls," she said.

Four heads turned in her direction. It was Tala who spoke first. He recalled his blade, but didn't move to approach her, preferring to keep his distance. "Have you come to spy on us?" His teammates recalled their blades and joined their captain, their expressions stern. If they thought she was going to be intimidated by them, they were sadly mistaken. She had a job to do and she wasn't going to fail Brooklyn.

"I thought you might be practicing your tough-guy impressions here in the dark. I wanted to see for myself."

Tala's eyes narrowed. "Watch it."

A nerve struck. Not the best start to a peace offer. "My apologies. I only came down because I wanted to contact you."

"We have an email address," Bryan said. She could see the distrust in his eyes. _Wow,_ she thought. _Boris really did leave deep scars on these guys. They're so defensive and uptight._

"I wanted to meet with you in person." She moved in closer. Now she was within arm's reach. Her stomach muscles tightened. She was no stranger to being in the presence of boys, but Tala and his friends had an aura of unfriendliness about them. So unlike her boys back at home. "I have an invitation for you. My team wishes to make amends with the other blading teams before the tournament begins. We want to apologize for the things we did and the mess we created."

Bryan crossed his arms over his chest, and glared. "We don't need an apology from you. I'm not going to believe a single word until Garland turns up himself."

So, the boys were still bitter about that as well. Understandable, considering Garland did make short work of the team, embarrassing them in the process before thousands of people. "I thought you might say that. You can remain bitter for the rest of your life or you can man up and accept our friendly invitation for a dinner at our place," she retorted.

Bryan opened his mouth to speak again, but Tala sent him a look. The burly blader fell silent. Tala looked to Ming Ming, his eyes full of questions. "A dinner invitation. A chance to make up amends. Give me the details and we'll be there."

"But Tala," Spencer started.

"I know what I'm doing, Spencer."

The boys showed their captain a lot of respect. When he called for silence, they'd fall into line. Whatever happened during the abbey years had obviously created a very deep bond between them. It was kind of sweet in a way. Very loyal and respectful of each other. Something that a lot of teams lacked, including hers. "Tomorrow night at seven pm. We live in an apartment on Maple Avenue, block twenty eight."

"We'll be there."

She smiled. "Good. Casual wear. No need to bring anything with you. I look forward to seeing you gents tomorrow night." As she turned her back, she wondered why Tala accepted the invitation so quickly. No questions, nothing. Perhaps he had an ulterior motive of his own and was hoping to get information out of them. Or perhaps he actually wanted to make amends… though she doubted that. Did the team bear any form of animosity towards them? They had effectively replaced them as Boris's favourites. In other words, this was going to be a rather awkward dinner party.

.

"Mariah."

Mariah arched her brows. "Brooklyn? You're the last person I was expecting to see."

He had done it without raising any suspicion. Mystel had left his phone in the room next door on. Naturally, Brooklyn couldn't resist taking a peek, and what fascinating conversations did the two have. It ranged from everything. Future holiday plans. Tournament catch-ups. Movie recommendations and even a few suggestive messages from Mystel. That caught him by surprise. He never thought Mystel would be that kind of a guy, but it was here all in text.

But he hadn't been interested in their text conversations. There was only one specific message he was looking for and he had found it. The one about today's meeting. Brooklyn had replied to it, and claimed there had been a change of plans and he was going to have to meet up earlier. Fortunately Mariah had agreed, and that's why they were both here now, standing on atop a hill.

Mariah was certainly surprised. He almost felt sorry for the poor girl. "Where's Mystel?"

"In bed," he replied curtly. "You get me instead."

She didn't move closer. It was almost as if she was afraid to come near him. "What do you want?"

"What? Not even a hello?"

Her posture stiffened. "You took his phone, didn't you? You lured me here for some reason. That's pretty low of you, Brooklyn."

A smile broke out across his face. He held his hands up in the air in mock defence. "Guilty, but I couldn't care less what you think. I'm only here for one reason – to talk with you. Mystel and I aren't exactly best friends, so getting you alone without some meddling, wasn't going to happen." He took a few steps forward and almost laughed watching her flinch. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you, Mariah."

"Just tell me what you want."

His smirk faded. "Straight to business then? To be honest, I never thought you'd be Mystel's type," he started, pacing back and forth. It was habit. "I always thought he'd go for someone… less pink, you know? I mean no offense or anything, but you've gone a little overboard."

"He doesn't care."

"Of course he doesn't. He's head over heels for you." Her expression softened. _Ah, so he hadn't made the ultimate confession yet,_ he thought. _Awkward._ "He hasn't told you? Take it from someone who lives with him. The guy can't even focus on a bowling match because he's more interested in looking at his mobile screen than the lane."

"And you came here to tell me that?"

"I'm telling you to back down and leave him alone."

"It might come as a surprise to you, Brooklyn, but my relationship with Mystel is out of your control."

He could detect the smugness in her tone, and it made his skin crawl. "He's my teammate. Haven't you got your own team to worry about? Shouldn't you be preparing for the tournament rather than spending your time playing mind games with my teammate?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Possessive, aren't you? Maybe he prefers my company to your team – why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

The girl had nerve. He had to give her some credit. No wonder Mystel felt drawn to her. She had him wrapped around her finger. The poor guy had no idea he was being manipulated. "Oh, I don't know about that. He doesn't care for the White Tiger team as a whole, you know. Thinks you're weak. He was telling me the other day about how your team couldn't reach the fruits on the top of the mountain." Partially true. The statement about being weak was false, but Mystel had bluntly pointed out they had no chance of getting the fruits. That was basically the 'polite' version of saying 'you're weak.'

"He wouldn't say that."

"I live with the guy, Mariah. I know him better than you."

There was doubt in her eyes. Hesitance and even a bit of confusion. Excellent. "I don't believe you."

He rolled his eyes. Damn her stubbornness. "I know that it's hard to accept, but he doesn't need you complicating things. Besides, you've got a tournament to focus on – that's where your focus should be."

"Just stop fooling around, Brooklyn. Say what's on your mind."

He stopped pacing. "How well do you really know Mystel? Do you even know why he joined up with BEGA in the first place? If you are as close to him as you claim to be then you'd know why he turned up in the White Tiger Hills. I can assure you, it wasn't a random trip. I don't have anything against you personally, Mariah. Honestly. Spare yourself the heartbreak and cut off all communication with him, and focus on your team. Trust me. It's for the best."

"… I don't understand…"

"Let me paint a better picture for you with words. Crusher grew up in poverty, and Ming Ming slaved away at a fast food store before Boris recruited her. Garland came from an overly competitive family, and you know my tragic little tale. But what about Mystel?"

Mystel's past was a complete mystery to everyone. Not even Boris knew anything about him when he was recruited into the team other than blading was in his blood. The guy often kept to himself, almost as if he had something to hide. His skills were unique – never had Brooklyn crossed paths with anyone with such control over their blade. He made it look effortless. The mask he wore also raised suspicion. It went beyond a fashion statement. Who was he trying hide from?

"The Blitzkrieg Boys aren't the only ones with a shady past." He pulled out his phone and looked down at the time. "Would you look at that? An hour has already passed by. I need to get back to my team. We're having a dinner party tomorrow night, and I've been voted to handle the grocery shopping. Think on what I said, Mariah."

"How do you even know all this? You said earlier you're not even close friends with him."

Brooklyn frowned. "The guy is a mystery to me as well. Haven't you ever wondered why he was there in the White Tiger Hills conveniently in the right place at the right time? I don't know about you, but I find that a little… odd. Almost as if he's been spying on you for quite some time." Before Mariah could question him further, Brooklyn turned his back and walked down the hill. That would give her something to think about, and hopefully she'd get the hint to leave his team alone.

.

The All-Stars were at the airport at the godforsaken time of three in the morning. Michael could hardly keep his eyes awake. The flight was unplanned. Judy had come late last night to tell the team to pack their suitcases for an early flight to Australia. Now they were trying to keep their minds entertained by playing a round of Cards Against Humanity.

"Hey there young scientists! Put on your labcoats and strap on your safety goggles, because today we're learning about?" Eddy read aloud, placing the black card on the desk. The boys were seated around the table, immersed in the final round of Cards Against Humanity. Michael was one point of winning the round.

Eddy turned away as the boys put their cards down, and shuffled them around. The answers were: A super massive black hole, a sneezing fetish and the bizarre four-eyed creature known as Emily. Rick and Steven burst out in uncontrollable fits of laughter. "You can look now, Eddy."

Eddy turned back to the game and examined the cards. He started laughing at the responses. "That's a classic. The bizarre four-eyed creature known as Emily. Cruel, but funny. I choose that one."

Michael threw a fist in the air. "I win!" he crowed. A family of four looked at him oddly. "I am the CAH champion!" In the corner of his eye, he caught Judy motioning for him to sit down. He spared her a grin then did as asked.

"Congratulations, man," Eddy said.

Rick threw his remaining cards on the table. "Dammit! I was so close."

At that precise moment, Emily returned to the table. "You're finally done with that stupid game? Why can't you play a more sensible mature card game instead?" she said, sitting on the spare chair.

"You only hate it because you don't have a sense of humour," Michael retorted, unable to help himself. He quickly packed up the cards before Emily could steal a glimpse of the card that won him the game.

"For your information, Michael, I have better things to do with my time than play childish games." She pulled out her laptop and brought up the Skype conversation window. Michael frowned. Emily had friends? "You seem surprised. Never seen Skype before?"

Rick, Eddy and Steven remained silent, watching the two converse. This was how it normally went. Whenever Michael and Emily started talking, everyone else would go silent and watch. "Of course I know what Skype is," he replied. Judy's warning was in his mind, but right now he didn't care. They had a non-refundable flight to Australia, so it was obvious Judy had decided on her team. He was safe. He hoped. "I'm just surprised that you have friends that's all."

She glared. "Yes, I do have friends. Miguel. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah. Why are you talking to him?" It wasn't any of his business to know, but he wanted to. Miguel and Emily had joined forces last year to help out with the BEGA League problem, but he hadn't realized their friendship had developed _this_ far. They were probably friends on Facebook too. Did… Emily _like_ this guy?

"Same reason you talk to Rick, Steven and Eddy. He's my friend, and friends like to talk."

"Yeah but…" He didn't finish his sentence. What was he supposed to say? Why are you talking to other guys outside the All Stars? It wasn't like that was a crime or anything nor did he control whom spoke to whom. It shouldn't bother him that Emily had Miguel as a friend, but it did, and _that_ made him uneasy.

"But what? Don't like not being the centre of attention?"

He hadn't cared when Emily had attracted the attention of Kenny, but Miguel was different. He hadn't failed to notice how cosy those two had gotten during the days of the rebel alliance. He felt… threatened? No, that wasn't the word for it. He had known Emily much longer than anyone else. "That's not it."

"Not every girl is interested in you, Michael. The sooner you realize that, the better for us all. Now please, leave me alone. I want to talk to Miguel before we board the plane because unlike you, he's actually good company." She made a dismissive hand gesture and Michael took that as a sign the conversation was over. It was like receiving a slap in the face. Shut down.

"Whatever." He rejoined the boys again who all looked sorely disappointed a fight hadn't broken out. Apparently, that was their idea of entertainment. Watching Michael and Emily argue like an old married couple so it was described as. That was offensive to him. He didn't like Emily. She was like the really annoying housemate he had no choice but to keep around because she paid her half of the rent.

"Wow, man, she totally shut you down," Steven said. "Never thought I'd live to see the day great Michael Parker shut down by Emily." He exchanged high-fives with Eddy who chuckled.

"Shame we didn't have a camera on us to film the moment," Eddy replied. Steven laughed harder. Both were laughing so hard their faces had turned red.

It was bad enough to lose to Emily, but in front of the boys? At least Rick wasn't joining in. Michael sat back down in his chair. On the upside, he was no longer tired. That little argument with Emily had woke him up. "I have your boarding passes," Judy said, walking over with Douglas behind her. They were both smiling. "Eddy, Rick and Steven, you'll be in the middle aisle. Michael and Emily, you're on the left side. You get the window seat, Michael."

Great. Just his luck. Stuck on a two seater with Emily. Maybe he could convince one of the boys to switch places with him? But no, this was most likely an elaborate scheme by Judy to encourage them to get along with each other. The flight to Australia was over twelve hours. Plus twelve hours stuck with his least favourite member on the team. What a joyous ride this was going to be.

"No complaints? That's good. Douglas and I will be in first class. I don't want any trouble so behave yourselves," she said, handing out their boarding passes. Michael glanced down at his ticket. Row F, Seat A.

Eddy placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, man. We'll be right next to you."

Not even a round of Cards Against Humanity would lift his mood. If the gods were smiling on him, Emily would hopefully sleep for the entire flight. Maybe they could swap seats so he could be closer to the boys. The flight from hell. Quite literally. Now would be a great time to have some of those sleeping pills on hand, but alas, Judy said no.

"Don't worry, Michael. We'll be here to protect you from Emily," Steven said.

Michael swung a fist. Steven ducked, chuckling. "Bastards," he muttered, as he walked over to start queuing.

.

Nothing. Not one message. Hours had passed since he had sent Mariah a text, but still no response. Mariah always replied within a few minutes. Why wasn't she replying? Maybe her battery had gone flat. Maybe her teammates were being bothersome again. Perhaps she had flown back to China to visit family?

"Something wrong?" Garland said, glancing up from the computer desk.

"Nothing you'd understand."

"That girl from the White Tiger team?"

Did all his teammates know? How did they figure it out? Maybe Ming Ming had blabbed. Typical. She'd probably write a song about it in the future. "Why don't you just worry about whatever is that you are doing, and I'll worry about my own problems?"

"Whatever you say."

Garland dropped the topic, returning his attention to the screen. He was busy tapping away at the keyboard. Maybe he was on Skype sending messages to his family overseas. As competitive as they were, they always kept in contact with each other whenever possible. Before he could move an inch, he felt a vibration in his pocket.

Mariah probably. He brought out his phone then pulled up the screen, hoping to see Mariah's name. But it wasn't hers. It was from an unknown sender. The message read:

 _We're watching you, Mystel. Don't forget your assignment._

"Shit," he swore.

Garland glanced up, an eyebrow cocked. "Language."

"Sorry." He looked back down at the screen again and sent back a reply.

 _I don't work for you anymore. I left._

He only had to wait a couple of seconds before he received another message.

 _You never leave the brotherhood._

He cursed again, this time inwardly. In the corner of his eye, he caught Garland looking at him, concerned. Fortunately, the captain said nothing. "I'm going out tonight," he lied, hoping Garland couldn't see past it. "It's Mariah," he added, telling another lie on top of one.

"All right, but be back before midnight."

Did Garland suspect he was hiding something? He had never told anyone about his life before the BEGA League, and he hoped they'd never find out. It was something he himself was trying to get away from, but the past had a funny way of coming back when you least wanted it to. As he made his way towards the door, it flung open. Brooklyn was standing in the doorway looking rather smug about something.

"What are you so pleased about?"

"Not even a 'hello' from my caring teammate?" Brooklyn said in his usual tone. "I'm trying so hard to get along with you, but you make it so difficult."

Mystel snorted. "Somehow I doubt that." He tried to move past Brooklyn, but the boy put his arm out, blocking his exit. "What do you want?" he said heatedly.

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? I just spoke with that girl of yours, Mariah. She seems nice."

Brooklyn chatted with Mariah? He felt his stomach muscles tighten, and dread rise up inside. His heart skipped a beat. How on earth had Brooklyn obtained Mariah's contact details and why – unless he… – that crafty bastard. "You took my phone, didn't you?"

"Shouldn't leave things lying out there in the open," he answered. "You know me, I'm curious. Why are my teammates so suspicious? I just had to know… Quite a bunch of interesting conversations you have with the girl. There was one message that was quite suggestive… Maybe you scared her off?" His smirk widened.

By now, Garland had stood up from his chair. "Brooklyn, that is unacceptable."

Brooklyn's grin faded. "You have no right to speak to me about unacceptable behaviour. I know Crusher and Ming Ming paid Tyson a visit before the big battle. I know you were there, Garland, and Mystel joined later. You purposefully left me out of his little gathering of yours. I wonder what words were traded that night?" Garland remained silent. "And you try to lecture me about what is right and what is wrong," he hissed.

Garland's efforts in trying to bring the team together were failing, that much was obvious. There was still a lot of unresolved tension between them. They were a team, but not really a team if that made any sense. Garland brought a hand to the bridge of his nose and rubbed it, taking in a deep breath. "My apologies."

A few silent tense moments passed before Brooklyn spoke up again. "I'm willing to forgive you for that, but I want you all to pay me the same courtesy. We're all on the same side here, so why don't we just try and make an effort to get along here?"

"How are we supposed to 'get along' if you pull stunts like that?" Mystel countered. Who knew what Brooklyn had told her? He probably convinced her to ditch him. "By meeting with Mariah and telling her who knows what. You're probably the reason she's stopped contacting me." Heck. She'd probably run over to Rei now, and he'd never get the chance to get her back.

"You'll thank me for it. I just saved you a lot of pain."

"What would you know about that? Right, I forgot, you're the expert on the topic of pain. You're sad little sob story about no one wanting to be your friend… I think I'm starting to realize why that is," he replied, without pausing to think. Sometimes words just left his mouth, and he was made to regret them later. Like that time he made those blunt comments about the weakness of the White Tiger team, but they still repaid him with kindness. He had felt like a jerk for days afterwards. This was one of those moments, but his mouth didn't stop there. "Maybe you hate what I have with Mariah because you've never experienced a connection with anyone else. The only way you sleep at night is with the satisfaction of bringing down other people to your miserable level."

"Mystel, I-" Garland started, but was interrupted.

Brooklyn's eyes narrowed. "No, please, tell all. What else is on your mind? Anything else you'd like to share with us?"

"Forget I said anything." That had been a mistake. Damn Brooklyn and his natural ability to wind people up. He was already on edge thanks to the anonymous text messages, and Brooklyn was only pushing him over. "I'm heading out." He pushed Brooklyn's arm out of the way and stormed outside the house, feeling their eyes on his back. He was tempted to go and see Mariah and point out Brooklyn was a liar, but another matter had arisen that need resolving.

The Bai Hu gang were in town. The same group people who had shown him the art of the 360 attack. It was their signature move, and he had made the mistake of revealing it the world. His mentor wouldn't be too thrilled with that. Do not bring unnecessary attention to yourself and the clan. That was the first rule. The second one was, 'You never leave the clan. Even in death you are still one of us.' Another one he had broken by running away and joining up with BEGA. And now they had decided that enough was enough.

Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure none of his teammates were following him then moved down the path, sticking to the shadows.

.

Pierre, Oliver's butler, was sitting behind the wheel. They were currently on the main road and heading towards the registration place. Robert had sent Johnny a few texts. Johnny hadn't replied, but the messages had been read. "Are you sure Johnny is even going to show?" Enrique said, pulling his gaze away from the window.

"He will. He will swallow his pride and rejoin us. He knows that being part of this team is the only way he'll ever get to participate in a tournament as big as this," Robert explained. He peered out the window. Trees after trees and more trees. They were out in the country now and away from the city. In the distance, he saw the mountains. Right now, there was hardly any snow since it was summer. Sometimes, he stayed on the mountains for a week to test his skills in the elements. Other times it was a short getaway from the day to day life.

"We should book a cabin and go skiing for a week," Enrique said. "When the tournament is all over of course. It'll be our winter again. Perfect time for a holiday."

"But Enrique, you've never skied before in your life," Oliver pointed out.

Enrique shrugged. "I'm a fast learner. I can pick it up in an hour. Besides, I'll get to meet plenty of cute girls," he added with a wink. "Maybe she can teach me."

"Do you ever think about anything else other than women, Enrique?" Robert said, his eyebrows narrowed.

"I'm a teenage male. It's natural to think of women."

"And what do Rosita and Bianca think when you spend time with other women?"

Enrique's girls. They followed him everywhere. Robert personally found them quite annoying, and every time he learned Enrique's girls were tagging along, he opted to cancel. Just spending even fifteen minutes with them was a frustrating experience, but Enrique seemed to think they were fabulous. The girls didn't even know a thing about beyblading.

"The girls know that they're my favourites. I always give them special treatment my other girls don't receive."

What a nauseating topic. "And your parents?"

"They're cool with it."

That wasn't convincing. Robert had attended dinner with Enrique's parents once when he had first crossed paths with Enrique. The mother had prepared an excellent Italian meal. She hadn't given him the name of the recipe saying it was a 'family special'. He hadn't seen her since, but he did have her on Facebook. The woman often spoke to him about her fears for her son doing nothing useful with his life. She didn't want him to end up as one of those rich kids gone wild and end up dead.

"You know, Robert, just give me the word and I can find you the perfect woman," Enrique said.

Oliver just chuckled. "I think Robert's perfectly capable."

"We don't have the time for that, Enrique. We have a tournament to prepare for."

The blond rolled his eyes. "You're no fun. But I'm serious – I know someone you might actually tolerate for longer than an hour."

"Enrique, if this is another attempt at trying to set me up on a blind date with one of your lady friends, then please know my answer is no." He still had nightmares from the time Enrique had set him up on a surprise date with Bianca. Needless to say, both of them had been very bored, but Robert had only stayed until the end to be polite.

"F-Dynasty. They're a brother-sister team. Pretty skilled. They beat Tyson and Daichi last year in one of the matches," Enrique explained. "She's pretty hot too." Like that was super important. "Maybe we can see one of their shows sometime. I can get VIP tickets."

"Shows?"

"They're street performers," Oliver explained.

How on earth had Enrique gotten into contact with them? Did he even want to know the answer to that question? Sometimes it was best not to know when Enrique was involved. "Wow, you haven't heard of the name before? You really do live under a rock. You have got to get out more, Robert. Staying inside that castle of yours can't be too good for your health. Just stay at my mansion for a week. We'll see the best sights Italy has to offer and the cutest girls too."

Robert was about to launch into a lengthy explanation as to why his statement was wrong, and that he actually had many things to concern himself with at home, but before he could even get one word out, the bus was thrown to the side. Robert was thrown out of his chair. He flung his hands up before his head just before smacking into the side. Dazed, but still conscious, Robert looked around. A bump in the road?

"What the fuck?" Enrique swore.

For once, Robert didn't lecture him on the usage of profanity. The blond was covering his nose with his right hand. A river of blood gushed down in between the fingers, trailing down his arm. The colour in Oliver's face had drained leaving him paler than usual. He was standing on shaky legs. "Pierre? Pierre!" he called out, rushing over to the driver's seat. "Pierre? … No, Pierre!" The Frenchman collapsed to his knees, a hand covering his mouth.

Robert remained on the floor, not daring to stand. He pressed himself up against the western chairs and poked his head around the corner to make sense of what was going on. Pierre wasn't moving. Unconscious? Hard to tell from this position. He leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes, drawing in a few deep breaths. "Is everybody okay?"

"I'm fine," Enrique said. "Got a nosebleed, but otherwise I'm okay."

It took for a few more seconds to pass before Oliver responded. "I'm also okay. Pierre's been knocked out cold."

Which meant they were stuck out here until the ambulance arrived. None of them were in any condition to get behind the wheel and drive. "Call an ambulance. We can't-" He never managed to get out another word when the bus was struck again, this time with twice the force. The vehicle spun off course and off the road, tumbling over into a creek, the windows shattering into hundreds of little shards. A pained gasp slipped through his lips as his fingers brushed up against some broken glass. Fortunately, the chair had protected him from serious harm, but how did his teammates fare?

With a groan, Robert lifted his head. The bus was on its side stuck in a creek. He could feel cold water seeping through his clothing. A stinging sensation followed soon afterwards as the cool liquid mixed with his open wounds. Not an accident. Someone had pushed them purposefully off the side of the road.

"Ow, fuck," he heard Enrique murmur.

Robert sighed with relief. At least Enrique was still conscious. "Keep your voice down, Enrique. Whoever did this could still be out there." Or they might have fled the scene to escape before the police arrived. "Can you see Oliver?"

"Yeah, I can." He heard shuffling and a few pained gasps leave Enrique's mouth. Seconds later, he heard, "Shit. Robert."

Minutes had passed since the crash. No one had come over to check so he figured it was all right to start moving, but how to get out? The crash had left him stuck in an odd angle with the chairs blocking his only escape route. Using his blade wouldn't do much either. The space was too small. "What's the problem?"

"It's Oliver."


	12. Fight for What You Believe

Thanks to unaisa memon and Infernapeblaze for reviewing the previous chapter. Also thanks to MaChunXia for reviewing the first three at the time of this update.

.

 **Chapter Eleven: Fight for What You Believe**

Emily hadn't exchanged one word with Michael during the flight. Every time she opened her mouth to say something, he'd take offense and argue back. A vicious cycle of trading insults would happen until a third party intervened. Usually that person was Judy but she wasn't around presently. The woman had caught another plane just as soon as they had arrived in Australia. Word was she was heading to Mount Isa to carry out some business there with Douglas.

The All-Stars were left in Brisbane's city centre at the Sofitel Hotel. The room was big enough for the five of them. Three bed rooms. Michael and Eddy took one room, and Steven and Rick took the other. Emily took the spare room wanting one for herself. The apartment even had two separate bathrooms, a spacious dining area and even a private balcony which overlooked a big pool out the back.

The last time they had visited Australia they had only gone down to Sydney, so Brisbane was an entirely new experience for them. Fortunately for them, their hotel was a luxurious one and provided a lot of entertainment for the bladers. Its convenient location in the city centre also made it easier to see the best sights the place had to offer as the boys were just discovering.

"Sweet, you only have to be eighteen to get into bars here," Steven said, looking up from the tourism brochure.

"We're not here to go clubbing," Emily said. "The tournament starts in less than a week. We should be practicing." Michael was supposed to be the captain and therefore responsible for getting his teammates into shape, but he was glued to the screen, watching a match of cricket. "Practicing doesn't include looking at other sports."

"This is so weird," Michael commented. "It's like baseball… but isn't."

"Welcome to sports outside of America," Rick said, planting himself down next to Michael. "We're supposed to get Foxtel here… It's what they call cable television in Australia. Someone pass me the television guide."

It was so hard being the only female on a team of four guys. Half the time it felt like she was the only one with any sense. She missed Judy terribly. At least when she was around, the boys were better behaved. How did the girls on the other teams cope being the only female? Hilary? Mariah? Mariam? Mathilda? Julia? Salima? Queen?

As soon as this was all over she was so going to go on a short vacation with the other girls. "Hey Em, make me a sandwich!" Michael called from the couch.

Why she oughta… _Calm down, Emily. He's just trying to get a rise out of you,_ she told herself. "Go make yourself a sandwich. It's not too difficult – even you could do it." Whoops. Too late. She supposed having not argued with him once in the past twenty four hours had only made her more likely to fight back. "Why don't I make you a hotdog instead? You could do with one."

He bolted upright from the couch and glared. "Why don't _you_ do us all a favour and get the hell out of here? You should've gone to Mount Isa with Judy… but she probably didn't want you tagging along either so she left you here with us. But guess what? We don't want you either. You're the weakest link on the team here."

"Ouch man, that was harsh," Steven said.

Eddy looked up from his bowl of cereal. He carefully picked it up and took a few steps back, as if fearing a fight would break out. "Judy had business to carry out." _Just breathe,_ she told herself.

Rick hit the mute button on the remote. He too was now on his feet. "Michael. Drop it. I doubt she meant anything by it… We're all feeling a little jetlagged."

Emily wasn't afraid to admit that she despised Rick when Judy recruited him into the team. He was nothing more but bullying bastard in the early days, always putting his teammates down, and mocking their efforts. But Max had changed him. Rick was actually a really nice guy once she had gotten past the rough exterior and all the fake bravado.

"Thank you, Rick."

"And she's right. We should be getting in as much blading practice as possible."

"You're going to take orders from that munchkin?" Michael retorted. It had been years since he had last used that term. "She's not the boss and I will not take orders from her! _I'm_ captain, and I call the shots."

"You're not exactly setting a great example, right now, _captain,"_ Emily argued back. Once the fighting started, it was hard to stop. Her mouth just kept going. Some part of her, a small part, enjoyed the banter. It brought her great satisfaction getting one over the great Michael Parker and making him squirm. "Maybe if you spent this much time arguing, you'd be doing a lot better in the beystadium!"

"That's rich coming from you. You didn't even get to blade in the first tournament."

"Because my skills were required elsewhere."

"Sitting behind a laptop screen and chatting to your boyfriend, Miguel?"

Her cheeks reddened. Not from embarrassment, but from growing rage. "No, you idiot! Analysing out team statistics and working on improvements! Not that you would understand how any of that works because you're too busy bragging all the time!" She wanted to pick something up and throw it as his face. Anything to wipe that smirk off. That devilish triumphant smirk he made every time he thought he had won the battle or was close to claiming victory.

By this point, Eddy had retreated into his bedroom to finish off his cereal in a secure environment. He didn't like conflict, and always left when he couldn't take it any longer. "Would both of you just stop?" Rick said, coming to stand between the two. "This fighting has to end."

"Tell that to Emily. She's the one who got worked up all over a sandwich."

"A sandwich you could easily make for yourself, Michael."

Steven sighed, raking a hand through his green locks of hair. "You two fight like an old married couple. Just kiss and make up already. I want to go out and get some breakfast."

That was enough to start world war three. A deathly silence hung over the room, then… "I wouldn't touch Emily even with a ten foot pole!" Michael snarled, his eyes blazing. "She means nothing to me."

"Michael," Rick started.

The captain turned his back, his arms folded across his chest. "Spare me the lecture, Rick. I'm going to check out the pool. You comin' Steven?" Michael exited the room, leaving Emily alone with Rick and Steven. Steven hurried after Michael, sparing a glance over his shoulder at Emily. He mouthed the words 'sorry' and followed his captain out of the room. Eddy joined them a few moments later.

Her lower lip began to tremble as a strong surge of hot emotion flooded her mind. She dropped to her knees, feeling all energy drain away in her legs. Tears filled her eyes. Out of all the insults Michael had thrown her way over the years that had to be the worst of them. Did he really despise her that much? She brought her knees to her chest and buried her head into her legs, unable to stop the flood of tears roll down her cheeks.

She felt someone's hand on her shoulder, and looked up through blurry eyes. Rick. "I'm here for you, Emily."

Emily sniffed, and tried to wipe the tears away. This was unlike her. How embarrassing to become so emotionally overwhelmed by something like this. She was stronger than this. "I want to stop… but I-I can't," she said in between sobs, trying desperately to calm herself down. "Everything I've done was to help the team."

Gods, this was embarrassing, but the tears just wouldn't stop flowing. Never had she ever broken down like this especially not in front of her team. "Don't beat yourself up, Emily. The team wouldn't have come this far without you," Rick said gently, placing an arm around neck, and pulling her in close. He was strangely quite gentle for someone built like a truck. "It's okay to cry, Emily. Let it all out."

She rested her head against his shoulder and continued to sob into the cloth.

.

"According to the signal on the internet, Hilary should be around here somewhere," Kenny said. He was on the floor, crouched over his laptop, tapping away at the keyboard.

Max shone on his phone's torchlight on the ground. "I can't see any footprints anywhere… It's all just grass. It's too hard to tell."

Tyson dropped to his knees, digging around in the grass, trying to find a clue as to where Hilary was. Nothing. Not a single damned thing. Frustrated, he curled his fingers into a fist and punched the floor. Hilary could be injured. She could even be dead. "She has to be around here somewhere. I'm not leaving her here. We keep looking."

"I'm with you, Tyson. I'll stay out here the entire night to find her," Max said.

Kenny glanced to his right then left. Tyson didn't fail to notice how his hands were clutching the lid of his laptop. He was holding it so tightly his knuckles were turning white. "It could be dangerous out here… We don't know who could be watching…"

"It's all right, Kenny. We're here," Max said.

Tyson was glad Max had spoken. He was sure he would've blurted out something offensive. He couldn't help it. During tense situations, his emotions took over, and he reacted out of anger and fear, often hurting those around him. "The phone signal says her phone is here… but why can't we see it?"

"We'll find it. We need to have faith," said Max, dropping down onto his knees to assist in the search. A few silent minutes passed by until Max held up a phone in the air. "I found her phone."

Relief poured through Tyson. Phone found. Hilary couldn't be too far off. He crawled over to Max's side and glanced over the blond's shoulder. The phone was already on and thankfully, no passcode was needed. There was a message from an unknown number. Max brought it up and read the words aloud. "I see you found the phone. That's good. You're not too far away now. Head north-east. You'll find your friend."

"That's a… that's a weird message." So the captors were watching them, and they wanted to be found. Were they walking into a trap? "Well… you saw what the message said. Let's go. Hilary's counting on us." Pulling out his Dragoon, Tyson led the way, following the directions of the text message. Max had his blade out and Kenny stood behind them both, his laptop beneath his right arm.

Tyson led them deeper into the forest, bypassing fallen logs and swatting away annoying flying bugs. They kept moving until they reached a clearing. Beyblades still raised, Tyson and Max carefully walked to the centre, whilst Kenny stayed to the side. "We're here as asked. Where's Hilary? If you lay one hand on her, I will make you pay," Tyson called out.

"Relax, Tyson. Hilary's just fine. We were just having a little conversation, that's all," a female voice said from between the trees. Turning his head, Tyson spotted a pale woman with black hair come out. She was joined by a male with tan skin and silver hair. He blinked. King and Queen? "Long time, no see, Tyson. Congratulations on winning another world cup title."

King looked over his shoulder. "Hilary, you can come out now."

To his relief, Hilary stepped out. There were no visible scratches or bruises on her arms. She looked a little pale, but otherwise healthy. Tyson rushed over to her. "Hil! Are you okay?" he blurted out.

Her chocolate brown eyes met with his. Relief. 'I'm okay. They didn't hurt me."

He would've hugged if her if not for the audience. That would make things awkward. "What happened to you?"

"Allow us to explain, Tyson," King said, moving forward. "Hilary ran into us. She wanted to fight us… quite a brave girl you have there. Very gutsy. So, to put her back in her place, we frightened her. The poor girl fell over and well, we ended up here. Couldn't have people asking questions. Much quieter here."

Tyson kept his blade raised. Max came forward, his blue eyes focused on the duo. "You captured Hilary to lure us here… I take it you want to talk."

"You're smarter than you look," Queen said.

"You could've just emailed."

"Better in person. More personal," King answered. His grin faded. "I don't want you to think of us as enemies. You taught me a lot during the last time we fought, and I want you to know, that whatever happens in the future, we had no choice. There's a storm coming, boys. Something big is going to happen. You should take the chance now to run."

"It's going to take more than empty threats to scare us off," Max said. "We've endured a lot over the past few years – The Demolition Boys, Black Dranzer, Zeo and his father, and most recently, Brooklyn. You really think we're going to run again?"

"I can't tell if you're brave or just really dumb," Queen said. She cast a sideways look at her companion and said, "I don't even know why you are bothering. Maybe they're eager to die."

"What are you talking about?" Kenny said.

King's expression was stern. "If you thought you'd already seen the face of darkness, then think again. Zeus, Cerberus, Black Dranzer… they're nothing in comparison. Insignificant. I am begging you do not enter in this tournament or it will be the last one you ever blade in."

There was actually genuine fear in his voice. King was afraid. Really scared. "What is it then? What is it that we should fear?"

"We don't know what it's called… We've only been hired to collect parts to build the ultimate blades… If I knew what it was, I would tell you in a heartbeat. But please, we're not jesting with you. Your lives are at stake. If you participate in this tournament, you will die," King further explained.

Tyson shook his head. "No… I've never run from a battle, and I don't plan to start now. Whatever it coming, we'll face it together as a team." He looked at Max.

Max looked back and nodded. "Tyson's right. We never back down. If we chose to turn our backs, who else would rise up to the challenge and defend the spirit of our sport?"

"Then you've chosen death."

"You're wrong, King. When the Bladebreakers are one, nothing stands in our way," Tyson retorted. "You've chosen the wrong side. I guess that makes us enemies again."

"You really think you're a hotshot, don't you, Tyson?" Queen taunted. "I'm going to enjoy seeing you in the beystadium and watching that grin get wiped off your face. Then we can say, I told you so." She grabbed King's arm and gave it a tug. "Let's just leave. Our work here is done. These losers decided to throw your help back in your face. They're no longer worth the trouble."

"Next time we meet Tyson, it'll be me looking down at your headstone," King said before turning his back. He followed Queen back into the woods, leaving the group of four confused.

Hilary grabbed Tyson's hand. He looked at her, and saw the fear in her eyes. Despite not having been hurt, she looked shaken and concerned. "We're going to be okay, Hil. I'm not going to let King's words throw me off course."

"But what if he's right?"

Tyson didn't have an answer for that one. What if King was right and they'd meet their end in the beystadium? Many people probably thought their luck would have to run out eventually. Perhaps this was year was the end?

.

Night had fallen, and not a single star could be seen thanks to the thick cloud cover. Shame really. Occasionally, he'd sneak outside during the late hours of the night to gaze up at the stars, but tonight, he had a different agenda. He was being followed, and he wasn't sure for how long. Now he needed to find them and sort out this situation.

He turned around a corner, stepping into one of the many deserted alleyways. They were staying in the dodgy part of the city and it paid to be cautious. Rogue bladers made their homes here in the trash and in the sewers. They were people who had succumbed to the darker side of life and now survived by preying on others and robbing them.

He had only ever encountered one before in his life. A beybattle had taken place, and his attacker had fled the scene shortly afterwards. Needless to say, they didn't try to attack him again, but he did see them on a frequent basis, sneaking around. "I know you're out there," Mystel said, gazing up at the rooftops. "If you want to talk, I'm right here."

He moved deeper into the alleyway, bypassing a few more dumpsters and bags of trash. The stench of rotten food filled his nostrils, and almost caused him to lurch. He managed to hold it down, as he continued delving further in, his right hand in his pocket. Clang. He jerked his head towards the source of the noise and walked in the direction.

The noise? A fallen trashcan lid. A possum had probably knocked it over. He continued walking slowly, investigating his surroundings. He spotted the remains of some cigarettes at the base of a dumpster, and also some broken alcoholic bottles. The cigarette still had smoke coming from the end. Someone had been here just recently.

He heard another noise. This time, a faint whirring sound, like a gear spinning. A beyblade. He pulled his Poseidon blade out of his pocket, and carefully loaded it onto his launcher, then inserted the ripcord. Taking a few steps towards his target, he raised his launcher and prepared to pull the cord back.

There was another whirring noise coming from above. Arching his neck back, he spotted an object plummeting down. Without wasting another second, Mystel aimed his blade at the object, and pulled the cord back. His blade flew forward crashing into the other one knocking it aside into a nearby wall. The rival blade crashed to the floor but remained spinning.

"So you're going to attack me from the shadows?" No answer. "Very well then. Have it your way." He raised his right arm. His blade followed his movement and jumped straight up, climbing up the side of a building. Two more blades appeared. All three were a dark shade of red, each one with the same bitchip. A sabre-tooth tiger. He recognized them. The Bai Hu Clan.

He directed his blade to jump on the opposite wall which his blade did with little effort. The other three blades followed and chased Poseidon up the wall. He looked up, searching for a glimpse of his attackers, but saw nothing. They were definitely here, but where? What could they be hiding behind?

"Poseidon, keep them busy, wear them down," he ordered. Much like their real-life extinct counterparts, the bitbeast sabre-tooths had low endurance. All he had to do was keep them busy for a little while longer and they'd give up the chase. Poseidon sped down the wall, the three blades in hot pursuit. One of the rival blades jumped into the air then crashed down at an angle. Two could play that game. "Evade!" Poseidon made a sharp turn to the left. Most blades would just crash into the wall or take the hit, but special training had given him the skills to make precise movements.

The other two blades turned yellow. A pillar of yellow light burst from the centre brightening up the night sky for a temporary moment. Two sabre-tooths emerged, the two mammals growling at the night sky. A third sabre soon joined the fray. A pack of sabres. Just his luck. Three robed figures jumped down from the roof tops landing in front of their blades.

"You thought you could run forever," said the figure in the middle, a male. He pulled his hood back. He had short brown hair, but his features were concealed thanks to the mask he wore which was identical to the one Mystel had. "But we're here now. No more running. You're coming back with us."

Mystel tightened his jaw. One of the sabres lunged, swiping a powerful claw at his blade. His bitchip triggered, and Poseidon joined the battle of the bitbeasts a few seconds later, and swung his javelin at the large cat. The cat evaded the attack and retreated. Another sabre lunged. Poseidon fought the second cat, swinging his muscular tail. The tail connected with the sabre's side, flinging it into the wall. Every time a cat went down, another one leaped into the fray.

"So you followed me the way here… For what purpose? I'm never going back."

The third sabre jumped, claws digging into Poseidon's skin. Poseidon slapped his tail into the cat's back, then wrapped around its legs, flicking it off. The cats continued to attack, clawing and tearing, only to get thrown to the ground by his bitbeast's tail and claws. Mystel didn't understand – why keep attacking when clearly they were getting nowhere?

"Master Li has given you appropriate time to obtain what is needed, but we find you here instead. Your task was simple – spy on the White Tiger Tribe and report your findings."

Before Mystel could argue back, another blade joined the battle. A black blade which looked familiar. Brooklyn. "Three against one. Not exactly what I would call a fair fight." Mystel glanced over his shoulder and spotted the ginger striding forward. He felt a stab of annoyance at Brooklyn's unwanted intrusion. "Zeus!" It only took a few seconds for Zeus to appear. He was hard to see clearly thanks to the darkness, but Brooklyn knew where he was, and he didn't waste a single second to take turn the battle into his favour.

The three sabres were blasted away into a far wall. The man with the hood down spoke. "You brought company. We'll be back again another day when you're alone." The trio fled the scene.

"I had that under control," Mystel said, turning to face Brooklyn, agitated. Brooklyn was the last person he wanted to see. Just his luck that the ginger had to be the one to catch him.

Brooklyn recalled his blade. "Right. You totally had that battle in your favour. I suppose allowing those three cats to attack you was part of this brilliant plan of yours?" Mystel scowled. "I'm not leaving until you answer me – those people knew you and you obviously knew them. What aren't you telling us?"

"It isn't your concern."

Brooklyn snorted. "You're a part of the team, so that means yes, what concerns you also concerns us. If these people are looking for you for whatever reason, we need to know. We can help."

Mystel glared. "Like how you 'helped' me with Mariah? If that's your idea of 'help' then I don't want it." He tried to push past but Brooklyn pushed him back. He wasn't going to get out of this without explaining himself. "They're called the Bai Hu Clan. They're from a village to east of China," he said, resigning himself to telling the truth. Brooklyn was a persistent prick.

"You worked for them."

"I was raised there," he replied, recalling Poseidon. "They're the masters of blading. I learned my techniques from them." The infamous 360 attack being one of them. "These skills were supposed to help me become better at… gaining the advantage over our opponents. Rival clans. That sorta thing. We trained day and night perfecting the art."

"Like assassins. That would explain the mask."

Mystel nodded. Assassins was a nice way to describe how the Bai Hu clan functioned. The mask was worn to hide their features from their opponents to avoid being identified, and the acrobatic skills were taught to keep bladers in prime health as well as evading the enemy. "You can't tell the others."

"They have a right to know."

"And tell them what? That I, Mystel, worked for a group of assassins before joining up with BEGA? I was supposed to gather intelligence on the White Tiger Tribe. To find a weakness in their village so the clan could raid them," he paused then looked away, guilt rising up within. For weeks he had camped out at the tribe, watching their every move, and eavesdropping on their conversations. "To put an end to the White Tiger Tribe. Wipe out the village," he added tonelessly. Kill them all.

"But you didn't do it."

"No. When you spend so much time watching your targets, they become a part of your life. They hadn't done anything to deserve death… So I helped them instead." Saving the kitten for Kevin and Gary. Rescuing Mariah's bandana rather than letting it become lost forever. Helping the team get the fruit on top of the mountain they couldn't reach. "I could've… should've walked away. I should've just left them to their fates, but I couldn't do it."

"That explains a lot," Brooklyn commented. "And so you joined up with BEGA. Did you think you could use the name to protect yourself?"

"I wanted a different life, Brooklyn. Isn't that why we all joined? To improve ourselves in some way? Crusher needed the money to pay for his sister's operation. Ming Ming wanted to be admired and respected. Garland wanted to separate himself from his siblings, and you to escape the past. I joined for the same reason you did." He jumped up into a dumpster and sat down. "But BEGA fell apart, and now we're back where we started from. Perhaps even worse off than we were before. At least I had Mariah. A ray of sunshine in a bleak world, but she's not there anymore thanks to you."

For once, Brooklyn actually looked guilty. "I think you know deep down she's not right for you, at least not now anyway. If she ever learns the truth that you were assigned to kill her… Well, I don't think you need me to finish off that sentence, but you know what I'm getting at." Silence fell. It was like one of those awkward movies where a kiss and make up session was due to happen. "You and I might not always see eye to eye on things, Mystel, but we are a team. I've made mistakes in the past – we all have – but we move on from them. I'm here to help, not just as a teammate, but as a friend."

Was the world slowly going mad? Mystel searched Brooklyn's eyes for some sign of hostility, but saw only genuine concern. Maybe Brooklyn wasn't a complete sociopath after all. Perhaps he did have a heart behind that arrogant demeanour. "Then we put a stop to them. Master Li is who we want to find. He's the brains behind the organization."

"Where do we find him?"

"That's what we have to find out. He could be anywhere, but if I was to make a guess, I'd say he'd heading to Australia for the tournament. It would be a distraction – all cameras would be focused on the big event and not local criminal activity."

"We'll book a flight down under."

"We need money for that."

A smile spread across Brooklyn's face. "Ming Ming's record label. We'll use that."

"And how do we gain access to those funds? It was under Boris's account and we don't know the password to access it is."

His smile widened. "We're having a dinner party tomorrow night with the Demolition Boys. If anyone knows anything about Boris, it would be them."

"For a moment I thought you were offering a peace treaty with them."

Brooklyn shrugged. "It's up to them to decide that."

Stifling a yawn, Mystel hopped down from the dumpster. "We don't tell Garland anything. Or Ming Ming or even Crusher about what happened here. I don't need them on my case… I doubt they'd be forgiving as you."

"My lips are sealed."

"Shall we head home then?"

Mystel cast one more glance upwards. Most likely they were still around, hiding someplace. They probably even knew where he lived, but as long as he had his teammates around, they wouldn't attack. That went against one of their tenants – don't expose the clan to the public. At least he could some comfort in that. "Yeah, let's return."

.

He wanted to swing a punch and wipe that arrogant smirk of his face, but he knew better than to allow anger to dictate his actions. Besides, that wouldn't help solve anything and would just make things worse thus undoing all the hard work he had put into getting along with his teammates. Rick held Emily close for what felt like hours as she sobbed into his shoulder. At first, Emily had never been his favourite person due to her haughty attitude, but the girl was actually far more vulnerable than she was letting on. He believed she only projected a tough demeanour to impress the boys on the team.

He had witnessed many fights between Michael and Emily since joining the All Starz, and never had he seen it amount to this. It was fine to playfully tease the other person, but this was borderline cruel. He knew how Emily felt. He had once been the person who hurt others intentionally because he found them beneath him, but Max had changed his perspective. Now he wanted to help others.

The problem was a clash of personalities. Both Michael and Emily were quite similar in some ways –arrogant and headstrong – with both having a 'never say never' attitude, hence why their fights never died down without intervention from someone else. Emily was usually in the defensive corner and he suspected it had something to do with people making fun of her over her appearance and intellect before she had joined the All Starz. She had probably become a blader to defend herself.

As for Michael? The guy could be an insufferable jerk at times, but maybe it was all just an act to hide what he truly felt. Rick hadn't failed to notice how they were always together (even if they fought a lot) during the days when Max was part of the team. He hadn't failed to notice how Emily carefully positioned herself to be near Michael whenever she had the chance. The guy was just too clueless to even notice.

The arguing had been mild during the Max days, but ever since his departure, things had become quite heated again. Probably because Max wasn't around to quell the flames. He had a naturally calming effect on people. Now Rick was there to pick up that role. This was even tougher than living on the streets. At least those fights could be solved with a beyblade.

"I'm going to go and get you something nice to eat," Rick said, slowly pulling away from Emily. Her sobs had quietened down now, but her eyes were red, and her cheeks swollen. "What would you like? One of those chocolate sundaes?" She nodded.

"Don't be long," she said.

He climbed to his feet. "Just take care of yourself. Don't let anyone else in unless it's me. I'll be back shortly." Now it was time to talk with a certain arrogant captain about his treatment of Emily and get some answers. Where had Michael said he was going again? The pool? Rick headed out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind him. Emily needed some time alone.

He turned to the right and walked down the hall, bypassing a number of rooms until he reached the elevator. There were so many floors in this place it would take a day to search the entire building. Fortunately, the pool was easy to find. It was on the ground level. He ventured outside. The pool was crowded. No surprises there. It was a hot day here in Brisbane though apparently that was normal. It was said there were only two seasons in Australia – hot and hotter.

Michael was easy to spot. He was chatting to a few girls. By the big smiles on their faces and the hearty laughter, they seemed to be enjoying his company. It's like the guy felt no remorse for his actions. Steven was in the water splashing around whilst Eddy lay down on one of the chairs. He walked over to Eddy and stood in front of him, blocking the sunlight.

Eddy removed his sunglasses and looked up. "Rick?"

"You me. Talk now." He then glanced over at Steven and motioned for him to come out of the pool as well. Steven looked upset, but he did as asked, and walked over, dripping wet. "What the hell is going on? You two just left Emily like her feelings meant nothing," he snapped.

"I know, and I feel like a jerk, but I didn't have a choice," Steven defended.

"You look like you had it sorted," Eddy said.

Rick almost covered his face with his palm. "You always have a choice! And you chose to side with Michael and I don't know why."

"What do you want us to then, Rick, huh?" Steven challenged. "Because the way I see it, those two are never going to get along. They're too alike. That's why they bitch all the time. Too much ego for the other to handle. We can't exactly just say, hey why don't you two just drop it?"

Surprisingly an insightful comment from the burly blader. In his defence, he had known Michael for much longer than he had. "How long have they been at this for? How many years? Do you know why it even started?"

"We were all recruited into the All Stars by Judy. She was a talent scout at the time and she found us at our sporting events and figured we'd do well in her team. We all signed up without a thought," Eddy explained. He paused, then, "Judy appointed Emily as her assistant and had Emily develop our strategies and such. She mostly worked on developing Michael's technique. Michael was made captain. They started arguing a few months later."

That was interesting. Seemed like their arguing had started as a result of the roles they had been given. Michael might be captain, but Emily was the brains behind the strategies. Two strong personalities bickering over positions. What an interesting relationship that would be if it ever became a reality.

"I'm going to talk to Michael. I want you two to apologize to Emily otherwise Judy will hear about this."

"All right, that seems reasonable," Eddy said. "I'll leave you to it."

Steven grumbled. "Fine, fine. I'll apologize even though I did nothing wrong."

Now that was settled, it was time to work on getting to the crux of the problem by talking to Michael. The captain had finished talking to the girls and was now on his way to the dressing room. Rick reached him before he even managed to set a foot inside. "Not so fast, Michael. You have some explaining to do."

Turning around, Michael glowered and said, "About Emily? There's nothing that needs to be said."

"She's sitting on the hotel floor room in tears because of you."

A brief flash of regret showed in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. "I don't care." He tried to leave, but Rick grabbed his arm and held him back. Michael pulled his arm free, and glared. "What the hell, man? What do you want from me?"

"I want an explanation. Why'd you have to be so cruel?"

"Because she's been asking for it? Call it a little payback if you want. I'm sick of her always treating me like I'm some… stupid jock who can't do a single damn thing right. I'm sick of her always interfering in business that isn't her own. The way she talks, the way she acts… Every single fucking movement she makes annoys me!" He made an annoyed grunt then carried on. "It's like she thinks she's in charge. Hell, she thinks she can beat me in a beybattle."

 _That was… quite the rant,_ he thought. "Sounds to me like you've paying her a lot of close attention to notice all these things." He almost smirked, but managed to keep his expression neutral.

Michael frowned. "It's hard not to when she just happens to be everywhere I look. How am I not supposed to take any notice when she's always in my face?"

"Eddy and Steven don't have these problems with Emily."

"That's because Emily isn't obsessed with them like she is with me."

Rick cocked an eyebrow, amused. So Michael thought Emily was obsessed with him? Obsessed wasn't the word he was looking for. "Have you ever considered the possibility Emily might actually want to be your friend?" More than that actually. He had suspicions of it at first, but thought their rivalry was more like a brother-sister thing. But now after having seen Emily breaking down…

"She's got a funny way of showing it."

"Put yourself in her shoes for a moment, Michael. Think it through. And I mean, really think. Emily came up with strategies for the team. She didn't do it because she had to, but because she wanted to. Why would she choose to focus most of her efforts on developing your strategy?" Michael remained silent, thoughtful. "Why do you think she's always at your side?"

"To keep an eye on me so she can point out my faults… Seems to be a hobby of hers," he muttered.

He was missing the point. Rick sighed. This was going to be difficult. "She _cares_ for you, Michael, and you're too blinded by your own arrogance that you can't see that. It actually hurts me to be the one who has to tell you something as obvious as daylight. You're the reason she's in tears right now, and if you had any sort of decency left in you, you'd make her feel better by apologizing."

Michael was silent.

"I've hurt a lot of people in my life. For a long period of time, I didn't care. All I cared about was satisfying myself and I didn't care how many people I had to beat down to get to the top." Shame poured through him. He had watched some of his earlier battles from the previous tournament and it made him sick seeing how he had acted back then. No wonder the team had been disliked. "But I learned that wasn't the path to happiness. That's not who I wanted to be. The old me would not have hesitated to slug you in the jaw. Don't get me wrong; I'm tempted because you deserve it, but I won't do that because I'm better than that."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Are you seriously asking me that? I think you know deep down what needs to be done."

Rather than give Michael another chance to justify himself, Rick turned his back.

.

The pain and anguish in Enrique's voice made it pretty obvious there was something terribly wrong. If only he could see it with his own two eyes, but he was stuck. He tried pushing the chair aside, but it wouldn't budge. Oliver was injured, and he was unable to do a damn thing about it. His phone had slipped out of his pocket and into the creek.

"Oliver? Oliver!"

"Enrique?" he heard Oliver murmur.

At least the boy was alive. "You've been hurt bad."

"What's… What's going on?"

"We were pushed off the road," Robert answered, holding back a hiss of pain. "Someone wanted us out of the picture." Which was weird. Aside from the Dark Bladers, who else bore a grudge against the Majestics?

"We have to get out of here. Can you move?"

He heard a grunt, followed immediately by a sharp hiss of pain and a strained cry. "I-I can't move my legs, Enrique," he heard Oliver speak in between pained gasps. "My legs… I-I think they're caught. They're stuck beneath the chair. I'll try – argghh!" Another pained cry. How Robert wished he could wriggle free of his current position.

"How bad is it?" Robert called out.

There was shuffling. Enrique cursing the broken glass. Then more shuffling. "I'm going to try and pull it off you." Well, at least Enrique could get to Oliver. Not physically being able to see what was going on was agonizing. He heard grunting. Heavy panting. More cursing then a yelp of pain.

"Stop! Stop pushing! You can't do anything!"

"Your leg is caught beneath the chair. I can't free it without…" Enrique didn't finish his sentence, and Robert was filled with dread. If his leg was caught and unable to be freed, did that mean the only way to free Oliver was to have the leg surgically removed by the medical team? "We need a medical team here. Robert, have you got your phone on you? Mine's been crushed and Oliver's one is stuck under the chair too."

"It's in the water now. Check Pierre."

"Onto it."

More shuffling. And… sobbing? Oliver. Maybe Enrique's words had dawned upon him and he'd figured out the only solution here was to have a leg removed to survive. Enrique swore again. More bad news. "Pierre's… Pierre's not breathing," he said tonelessly.

A life lost. An innocent person's life ended within seconds. Hard to believe they were driving down the road moments ago. Now here they were fighting to stay alive. He rarely felt anger. Anger was a Johnny emotion to experience frequently, but on this occasion he felt pure anger. Someone, some careless uncivilized lout, had done this. They hadn't even bothered to stick around to help out proving it had been done intentionally. If he managed to find them… he would show no mercy.

"Find his phone."

"But-"

"Find it, Enrique. Pierre's lost to us, but we can still help Oliver. We need an ambulance here now."

No time for grieving yet. That could wait, but the most important thing now was saving Oliver's life. He heard Enrique groaning about 'too much blood' and 'it smells so bad' but the boy had found the phone. He could hear the ringing from his position and Enrique speaking into it. To his credit, Enrique managed to remain calm whilst speaking. "Hello, hello? I'm reporting a vehicle crash on Highway 52. What? Yes. That's right."

That was a short call which had ended rather abruptly. His thoughts were broken when he heard another pained cry escape through Oliver's lips. "I can't feel my legs," he said. "Gods… I can't feel them."

What was supposed to have been a peaceful trip to register the team had ended in tragedy. Registering online would've been the smarter choice after all… None of this would've happened then. His choice in attending the venue had led to this, and he couldn't shake off the feeling he was the one at fault here.

And he couldn't do anything about it. Never had he felt so useless before. His ancestors would be so disappointed. His parents would be embarrassed to know of this had they still been alive. He was their leader. It was his job to protect them and instead he led them to their downfall. Pierre dead. Oliver on the brink of losing it all. Enrique was only just keeping it together for the sake of Oliver. As for Johnny, he had no idea where he was.

Was this the end of the Majestics?


	13. The Calm Before the Storm

Thanks to unaisa memon for reviewing the previous chapter

 **.**

 **Chapter Twelve: The Calm before the Storm**

He was going to demand a rematch from the Saint Shield girl, and he was not going to give in until she said yes. His pride was on the line as well as his reputation as being 'a tough blader'. He was supposed to the champion of the UK and yet he had been defeated by a girl from some low class clan. Unacceptable. "I'm not going to let you down again, Salamalyon," he said, glancing down at his blade. "We know her strategy now. Next time she's going down."

First he had to find her. It had been a few days since they last crossed paths, but she had to be staying in town somewhere. He was currently walking down a busy street. Various clothes shops lined the sides of the road, but would Mariam be shopping? She didn't strike him as the type of girl to spend all day looking at clothes, unlike Enrique's stupid girlfriends. As he continued down the street, he heard the voices of a boy and girl gossiping.

"I can't believe the ticket prices!" said the boy.

"And they've already all sold out," exclaimed the girl. "In under twenty four hours!"

"That's because the Bladebreakers have reunited."

"Except they're not called that anymore. They call themselves the Avengers now," the girl replied.

 _So much from retiring professionally from the sport,_ thought Johnny. So, Kai, Max and Rei had joined up with Tyson again to help him defend his world title. Competition was going to be interesting this year. Lots of old faces returning as well, but they'd all be crushed beneath the power of the Majestic's bitbeasts.

Speaking of the Majestics, Johnny pulled out his phone and glanced down at the screen. Robert hadn't replied to his message about meeting at the registration, nor had he seen their page on the website. So he had gone ahead and registered the team just before the deadline. It wasn't something that was his responsibility to do – Robert was the captain. Something must've happened. Robert would never forget something of that importance.

"You're looking a little bit lost," a voice said.

Glancing up, Johnny spotted a certain girl with royal blue hair leaning against a wall. Without even realizing it, he had taken a turn into the women's clothing street. Warmth rushed to his cheeks. "Hmph. It's you again."

She pulled away from the wall. "Still sour over your loss, Johnny?"

"You might've won the match, but the real one counts in the beystadium."

"A loss is a loss, Johnny. Even the best lose," she replied, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder.

He noted her teammates weren't around. She must be on her own then. Maybe the rest of the team were packing their suitcases for the trip to Australia? "Where's the rest of your team?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"Packing for Australia." Actually, he didn't know where they were. They wouldn't leave without telling him first so they had to be in town still. He glanced down at the screen again. Still nothing. Maybe Gustav would know.

"Don't you know it's rude to look at your phone whilst someone is talking to you?"

Damn this girl. He glared. "You're lecturing me on manners?"

She shrugged. "I'm beginning to wonder if all those stories about you being a descent of royalty are true… Maybe it's a false story."

Her smirk widened. She was baiting him, but even knowing this, Johnny argued back. No one insulted his family name. "Ask anyone on the streets in Europe and they could tell you all about my family's history. Even non bladers know my story. My clan-"

"Enough, spare me the history lecture," Mariam said, raising a hand.

"What do you want? A medal for defeating me?"

"Do you have one? That would be nice to wear around my neck."

Why that… His jaw muscles tightened. "No, I don't."

"Don't offer things you don't have then."

He raked a hand through his auburn hair. If this had been a guy, he would've swung a fist already, but the McGregors never hit girls. Right now he wished he had Enrique's ability to read the minds of women. He would know what to do. "So what then?"

She stepped closer. Now she was within arm's reach. She reached down into her pocket and pulled out a brown paper bag. Digging a hand into the bag, she soon pulled out an apple. Two red apples in fact. "Here, have an apple," she said, holding the apple out towards him.

"What?" Either she was playing mind games with him or she was just plain crazy.

"I didn't poison it, all right?"

He took the apple. "What's the apple for?"

"Eating?"

Johnny felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment. Thank goodness the other Majestics weren't present otherwise he was sure they would hold this moment against him for the rest of his existence. He took a bite out of the apple.

"You're looking for a rematch, aren't you?" Mariam said, placing one hand on her hip.

Johnny nodded. "Like I said, you got lucky before."

"I'll think about it... while we go shopping." She grabbed his arm and pulled him over the shops on the right. That confirmed it. Mariam was weird. Very unlike Enrique's ditzy girls.

"Shopping?" Oh no.

She grinned. "How badly do you want that rematch?"

 _How on earth had I sunk so low?_ He thought as he followed her into the beauty products shop.

.

"You are weak and undeserving of the blade you possess," Carlos snarled, crushing the kid's blade under the weight of his foot. The kid dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "You are an embarrassment to us." He spat at the ground next to the crying young teenager.

"Have you no heart?" a female spectator shouted, glaring up at Carlos with big, brown eyes.

"I show no mercy to the weak."

He turned away from the crying kid and strutted down the busy streets, ignoring the comments thrown at him by other spectators. He did not care for their words; he would show them all what true power was.

"You put on quite the show there, are you proud of yourself?"

Carlos snapped his head around. Hiding in an alley was a tall man wearing a white hooded cloak, black pants and a long sleeved shirt. Carlos frowned. Strange to dress up in summer clothing in the middle of winter. Wasn't he hot? "Who are you?"

The man walked forwards. The expression on his face was unreadable due to the hood, but Carlos imagined he was smirking. "I'm Hiro... Tyson's brother."

Carlos felt his muscles tense. He wasn't sure what to think of Hiro, considering the trick he had pulled during the last tournament. Coaching his younger brother's rival team was dirty trick, and he didn't seem fazed by it at all. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking care of your little brother?"

Hiro shook his head. "I've done all I can for Tyson, he doesn't need me anymore. I gave him his strongest rival and he triumphed proving to me he doesn't need my guidance."

"Then why are you here hanging around town for?"

Hiro moved forward. "I'm your new coach."

Lifting a brow, Carlos snorted. "so you're the one Douglas hired… What makes you think we need your help?"

Instead of scowling or fighting back, Hiro simply laughed. "You are an amateur beyblader with a big toy," Hiro stated calmly, arms crossed. "You know what's going to happen when we arrive in Australia. You're going to be given a powerful bitbeast. You need to learn how to control it otherwise it will control you." He pointed to himself. "That's what I'm here for. To help you master the basics of blading. We have a few days to get this right then you'll be ready to take on the world with the rest of your team."

"Why do you care so much? How much is Douglas paying you?

Hiro's smile widened. "Oh, money isn't the incentive here. I don't want to see the tournaments become a thing of the past. To prevent that from happening, we need skilled bladers coming through each year. These tournaments raise a lot of money, and that money funds research thus in turn making battles even more competitive. I can teach you the skills that will make you on par with the best bladers in the world."

Carlos tilted his head to the side. Something didn't feel quite right there, but who was he to judge? Hiro had proven himself to be a world class coach, and he was Tyson's older brother. He tightened his fists. Though he disliked Tyson for making a fool of him, it was Kai his hatred was harboured towards. Kai had crushed his blade as if it was nothing. Kai had thrown him aside like he was a rag doll. Never again.

"So, do you accept my offer?" Hiro said, extending a hand towards him.

Carlos stared at the hand for several seconds trying to determine whether or not this was a joke. "Fine. I accept."

Hiro smiled. "Excellent. We'll begin right away."

.

Michael was never good with deep and meaningful conversations, nor did he have any skills in providing comfort to hurt friends and family. No situation had ever required it. So to be standing outside the room and listening to Emily's sobs filled him with a sense of unease. He couldn't back out. Rick would be waiting upstairs to slug him if he didn't do this. The man was probably hiding around a corner or something.

He approached the door, thinking hard. What was he was supposed to say? Somehow, 'hey em, sorry,' didn't cut it. Taking in a deep breath, he raised a hand and knocked on the door. "Emily? Can I come in? I think we need to talk." Probably not the best choice of words, but at least it didn't sound too hostile.

To his relief, he heard Emily stand up. A few moments later the door opened. She looked up at him with swollen eyes, and for once in his life, he actually felt guilt. "Fine. Come in." She closed the door and leaned against it.

"About what happened earlier… I take it back."

"Doesn't change anything. You still said it." He raked a hand through his blond hair. Why had he decided to go blond again? He missed his old hair. Maybe before the tournament began, he'd be able to get it fixed… "Are you even listening to me?" Right. Emily.

"I hear what you're saying."

"But do you really? We always end up here, Michael. Arguing. And I don't want to keep arguing with you."

"You think I dislike it anymore than you do?" he retorted.

Emily bit down on her lower lip. "I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much. All I've ever done was to try and help this team. The blades I helped designed and the training programmes that I worked hard on to plan… I did it for the team."

Way to make him feel like the cruellest person in the team. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to react. "I know…" He couldn't believe Emily had turned to Rick for comfort. Of all people… Rick?! But had he left her with much of a choice?

"Then why do we always fight?"

"We just… do?" he offered, knowing it was a weak reply. It was a clash of personalities. That's what it came down too. Two strong personalities trying to take charge. A clash of egos. Maybe they were just too alike to ever truly get on? The thought was puzzling.

She looked away. "Is it true then? What you said about me earlier?"

About hating her. Was it? She annoyed him, yes, but did that really qualify as hatred? He wasn't physically attracted to her, but he wasn't quite repulsed by her presence either. She was just… there, and always in his face. Yes, that was it. She was like a fly that wouldn't disappear. "No."

"Then why did you say it?"

"You were asking for it."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "So you're shifting the blame on me to justify your own actions?"

"You started with the insults. Maybe if you hadn't opened your mouth to reply we wouldn't even be here having this conversation." Again, he felt that all-too familiar surge of annoyance rise up inside. "I don't even know why you're a part of this team? You hate the arguing so why are you still here?"

"Judy recruited my services because she knew I could contribute a lot to this team," Emily fired back. "And believe it or not, but I like this team and I want us to succeed. But you don't seem to understand that – you seem to think that I don't deserve to be here. I've done more for this team than the lot of you combined."

"You don't even act like you're part of the All Stars!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

He drew in a deep breath. "You're the odd one out. You're the least popular member. Don't you see the posts on Facebook?" Unfortunately, the All Stars were one of the least popular teams. They didn't even rank in the top five. They were popular only in America, but beyond that? He suspected it was mostly because of Rick. Rick hadn't exactly been the kindest of people when he first joined.

"I don't even care to look at that stuff."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should." They were back to square one again. A vicious cycle of bitterness and anger. He sighed, drawing in another deep breath then exhaled. As much as he wanted her to leave the team, he knew Judy wouldn't allow it. "Maybe you'd learn something new about yourself," he added. So much for resolving the issue with Emily, but it was impossible to reason with her. Every sentence he spoke, she countered it, and turned it back on him.

Emily wiped her eyes again. "I want us to stop fighting."

"And how do you propose we do that? Every time you open your mouth it's an insult," he replied heatedly. "And for whatever reason it may be, you always target me! Never Eddy! Never Steven! Not even Rick! I don't know what it is that I did to make me your number one target!"

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" She wiped another tear from her eye. Great. She was crying again. He wasn't quite sure how to act around a weeping female. What did she want? A box of chocolates? He looked at her blankly awaiting an answer.

"I did everything for _you_!" she blurted out. "Everything! And not once did you ever thank me for it! You just pushed me aside like I didn't mean anything at all! You want to know why I started talking to Miguel? It's because he actually noticed me for me and not some nerd!"

Tears were rolling down her eyes again, and this time, she didn't try to wipe them away. Her confession caught him off guard. Clearly these words had been on her mind for quite some time now. So that's what she really thought of him. As someone who didn't give a rat's ass for the people around him. "It's not like you made it any easier for yourself! When you first joined this team, you didn't want anything to do with us. You wrote us off as being dumb jocks!"

"What else was I supposed to think when it was you three who shunned me? You, Steven and Eddy, but you instigated all our fights. You made fun of me on the very first day because I didn't look like one of those dumb cheerleaders you were surrounding yourself with! I had to defend myself and the only way I knew how was to fight back. To distance myself from you three and prove my own worth." The tears stopped flowing. Now he saw anger in her eyes. He also saw the hurt.

"So why bring it up now after all these years?"

She stepped forwards, so close he was just within an arm's reach. He was a good foot taller than her, but right now he didn't feel it. "You're so clueless, aren't you?" She gave a sardonic laugh. "I wanted nothing more than to be your friend, but you threw it back in my face. Miguel made me an offer to join with him, but I turned him down to stay here. With _you_." Her bottom lip trembled. He thought she was going to break down again, but she managed to keep herself composed. "But now I realize that I made a big mistake. You don't want me to be on this team? Fine. I'll leave if that's what you really want. I'll hand in my resignation before the tournament begins."

She was going to leave. Resign from the All Stars to be with Miguel, that slime ball from Barthaz Battalion. Sure, the guy had stood up to the man and all, but it didn't change what he had done. And Emily _wanted_ his company? "You're part of this team."

"Funny you say that because I recall a few hours earlier you were saying I meant nothing to you, and that it would be better if I wasn't on this team. Now you get your wish. You might be captain, but you don't have the power to keep me back." She pushed past him and opened the door. Before stepping out, she glanced over her shoulder and added, "I hope you're proud of yourself." She slammed the door and stormed off down the hallway.

.

"Keep your arm at level with your shoulders," Hiro said, standing beside Carlos, "you'll get more power that way."

Carlos raised his arms slightly then pulled back the trigger. His blade rocketed forward with such force, Carlos almost lost his balance. "I can see why Tyson and Brooklyn became so good with your expertise," he said, flexing his arm muscles.

"They are special bladers, just like you, Carlos. Now try again; this time keep your balance. If you call backwards in the stadium, you'll have lost the battle before your blade even lands in the dish." Hiro walked over to pick up Carlos's blade then handed it back to its owner. "Tell me, why do you want to compete in the tournament? What are you fighting for?"

Carlos snatched his blade back. "Why do you care so much what I want? Why should I trust the words of someone who is turning his back on his own family?" He appreciated Hiro's tips, but it seemed strange why the elder Granger would willingly help an enemy of his brother.

"I have no allegiance towards any team, Carlos. I'm loyal to the sport of blading and that means helping bladers achieve their potential."

Good answer, but it still didn't make things any clearer. He was hiding something, but he doubted he'd get another word out of the elder Granger sibling. "I want to beat Kai. I want to beat Tyson. I want to beat the people who made fools of me. I want to show them that I am just as capable, and that I'm worth more than dirt." He placed his blade back on the launcher. He prepared his position, then drew his hand back releasing his hold at the last second. The blade flew forward.

"Douglas has already finalized the battling order. Alexander will face off against Tyson in the finals. Bruno will battle Rei and Alan will battle with Max. You can fight Kai… I'm assuming that's what you want? To beat your former captain?"

Carlos looked at Hiro. "I don't know what your true reasons are for agreeing to coach, but you're right. I want to prove to him that I am a worthy blader, and I will defeat him in the stadium. My team will be the ones to hold the trophy in front of the crowds, and I look forward to seeing the looks on their faces." His lips curved into a smirk. "I used to idolize him once. I wanted to be like him, but he threw my respect back in my face."

"Just don't let your emotions control you."

He snorted. "Maybe I'll even battle Tyson."

"Your focus is Kai. Let your teammates handle my brother."

"And if they lose?"

"You should have some faith in them."

Carlos glared. "I could win the tournament alone if I had to."

"But the rules state you must compete in a team," Hiro casually replied, smirk on his face. "If you don't like it, you could always pull out of the tournament. I'm sure Douglas will find someone else to replace you. Any blader can be trained to know the basics. The bitbeasts you will receive will do the rest of the work."

His face darkened, a scowl appearing on his mouth. "I am worthy!"

Hiro laughed then paused, studying Carlos's face. "You're serious aren't you? You really think you're something special? Why don't you prove it to me then big shot, or are you all talk?" Carlos remained silent. Hiro's smirk widened. "Right now you're an amateur who is going to receive a big toy. I don't want you to make a fool of yourself – that's why I'm here to help you. You just have to let me."

"You're making fun of me," Carlos snarled. Once again, he released Tyro but this time, his blade disobeyed, deciding to smash into a wall instead. Carlos kicked the ground.

Hiro rolled his shoulders. "Keep that fire in your belly burning. You're going to need that anger in the battles ahead. I'm going to show you how to tap into that emotion and use it as power. When you can achieve that and master it, you'll be unstoppable in the stadium. Ask yourself this – what are you fighting for? Do you know what it means to be a champion? I'll let you think on that for awhile. When I return, I want you to show me what you can do."

Hiro gave Carlos a lingering look, then turned away walking to the shadows of a nearby alley. Carlos watched him retreat, taken aback by his words. His reasons were noble... weren't they? Everyone wanted to aspire to be better, and becoming world champion was the biggest achievement a blader could earn. Right?

.

Ming Ming couldn't help but fidget in her seat. Every so often, she'd run a hand through a lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear in an attempt to calm her nerves. This had the potential to end up in disaster. The Demolition Boys were sitting together on the right side of the table while her teammates were positioned on the left. Garland and Tala sat on the far ends. Bryan and Spencer hadn't spoken a single word, preferring to communicate with their eyes.

"Well you lot are certainly a talkative bunch," Brooklyn said, helping himself to the jug of water. He poured himself a glass of water then leaned back in his seat. "I'd like to say thank you for accepting our invitation. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if you would come considering past history, but I am glad you are here."

"You're not competing in the tournament, are you?" Tala said, arms folded across his chest. "I didn't see your team name on the registered list."

Brooklyn shook his head. "After what happened last year, we decided we weren't even going to bother. Besides, we'd just blow all the other teams out of competition. It wouldn't be a fair fight if we were involved."

In the corner of her eye, Ming Ming noticed Bryan tense. His hands were resting on the table, and she didn't fail to notice how his fingers curled into fists. She sent a withering look in Brooklyn's direction, but he just frowned. _Clueless boys_ , she thought. _So tactless_. "What Brooklyn is trying to say is that it's far too soon to compete again. People still have nightmares over last year – we need to give them a little more time to accept us."

"Because of Boris," Tala commented. "We've been there. We know how that feels to have a cloud hang over your head and never leave. Boris used us, but we're not going to let history define our team. That's why we are competing again. To prove we are stronger without him."

"Speaking of Boris how is the old man?" Brooklyn started.

"We don't keep in contact with him," Bryan said, speaking for the first time this dinner.

Brooklyn tried again. "So, you're not pen pals then."

Spencer grabbed a glass of apple juice. He was clasping his fingers around it so hard, his knuckles were turning white. "Boris is no friend of ours," the blond said. That was the first time she had ever heard him speak. A mostly silent giant.

"And he's no friend to us either," Brooklyn replied.

This was becoming more awkward with each passing second. Someone was going to break, and then things would turn ugly quickly. She only hoped a fist fight wouldn't happen because it wouldn't end well for either team. She looked to Garland. He was quiet, almost as if he was studying their guests. Maybe he was waiting for a chance to intervene.

"He's Russian, yes? Did he get sent back to Russia to serve time there?" Brooklyn said.

A muscle in Bryan's jaw twitched. "Why does it matter? Boris is history."

"And we'd be fools to ignore the past," Mystel interjected, making his presence known. "It catches up to you then you find yourself in knee-deep in trouble."

"You don't think we know that? We served Boris for longer than you," Bryan retorted, his eyes narrowing. "We knew him on a personal level. You didn't. He did things to us that he never did to you. Don't think for a second we don't care for Boris – we'll never forget, but we wish we could."

Yup. A fight was brewing. Brooklyn's blunt words were being interpreted the wrong way and the Demolition Boys were willing to fight to defend themselves. A battle with Tala's team in the stadium would be an interesting one if they were at their full strength. There was a lot of angst there. A lot of unresolved issues. "Let's just all calm down," Ming Ming said, her hands raised. "We're here to have a friendly dinner. Can we not make this about Boris?"

She could understand why the Demolition Boys didn't want to talk about him. The man was a creep. A tyrant. A destroyer of lives. He fooled them all promising them glory and status, but it was all just a lie. He didn't care for them. They were just his tools in a war. Sometimes, Brooklyn took things too far. Couldn't he see how unsettled the Demolition Boys were?

"We are here beneath this roof because of Boris," Brooklyn started. "If not for Boris, our teams would not exist. We wouldn't know each other. So yes, I think he is relevant to this conversation. It's not my fault if the Demolition Boys here are a little too sensitive."

Bryan surged to his feet, his eyes burning like black fire. "Pretty rich coming from you, Brooklyn. Weren't you were the one who shared his sob story to the rest of the world about being unloved and all?"

"Bryan-" Tala started.

"No, Tala. We don't have to be treated like fools by this clown," Bryan replied, thrusting a finger at Brooklyn's direction. "You wouldn't know true pain if it hit you in the face. You act like one of those spoilt little rich kids who didn't like the presents they received for their birthday. You didn't have any friends as a kid? Listen to yourself talking now and maybe you'll understand why," he snarled.

That was a low blow. "Bryan's right," Spencer said, rising to his feet. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and glared at Brooklyn. "Your team was just put together much like a manufactured pop group. A fancy name and a look to match. You don't even truly feel the sport. Its side job for you lot. Blading was a part of our lives since the day of our births. Our names were chosen by Boris and Voltaire. We were chosen to be soldiers in a war before we had even left the womb."

Silence. An uncomfortable situation. The tension was so thick that a knife could not cut through. "I think you're both forgetting just whose roof you are staying beneath," Brooklyn replied slowly, his voice a dangerous low. "I could crush you easily right here with my eyes closed for your words, but I'm going to let it slide. You should consider yourself grateful that I'm in a charitable mood otherwise your tournament would be over before it had even begun." A thinly veiled threat and she had no doubts Brooklyn would follow through with it.

"You invite us here to make amends and then issue threats against us?" Bryan said. "That's an odd way to make friends."

"Well at least we don't try to steal bitbeasts off our potential allies," Brooklyn countered.

Bryan lunged across the table. Brooklyn didn't even have a chance to pull out his blade. Bryan was far too quick. Before anyone could react, Bryan pinned Brooklyn to the ground, drew back a fist, and punched Brooklyn in the side of the face. He punched him a second time in the nose. That prompted everyone to snap out of a trance-like state. Garland was on Bryan in a flash.

"You may be a threat in the stadium but out here, you're nothing," Bryan spat.

Ming Ming stood up abruptly, hands covering her mouth. A dinner gone horribly wrong. Bryan still had Brooklyn pinned to the ground. Blood poured out of Brooklyn's nose. A disaster, but what could be done to stop it? Bryan was solid. Spencer was a hulking giant. Garland could put up a good fight and win with a well-aimed kick, but he wasn't a dirty fighter. Something had to be done.

Garland pulled Bryan off Brooklyn, giving the ginger blader a chance to climb to his feet. Blood flowed down his chin, spilling out onto his white clothes. She wondered what thoughts were running through his mind. He wasn't the sort of person who coped with defeat and humiliation all too well. He wiped his nose, but the blood continued to flow.

"Brooklyn-" Garland started, stepping forwards. He looked concerned, stressed even, but his code of honour prevented him from getting too heavily involved in the fight.

"Bryan. That's enough. You've made your point," Tala said. The captains had finally spoken, but their words had come too late. The damage had already been done. His teammates probably thought they were on even ground with them now. "Enough is enough. We're better than this. Save your anger for our opponents in the stadium."

"You're going to regret that," Brooklyn said. He spat blood at the ground then continued to speak. "You just bought yourself a ticket out of the tournament, but don't worry - the tournament won't need you. Why don't you try the little kids' league instead? Your battle against Garland was laughable. I'm sure even a chimpanzee could do better than you."

Uttering a deep growl, Bryan charged. He ignored the calls of Tala and Spencer and shoved Brooklyn into the wall. Brooklyn groaned. "You just don't know when to stop talking do you? You want to know where Boris is? Try a prison cell in Russia. That's where he'll rot behind bars. You should be there with him. You and your lousy team. You don't deserve to be called bladers."

"Bryan-"

Bryan drew back a knee then rammed it forward, striking him hard in the stomach. "Don't ever mock my team, or you'll learn what true pain is." He spat then pulled back, retreating to the exit. Before leaving, he looked to Tala and said, "You said we have to fight to prove ourselves. I just did."

Unable to bear this torment for much longer, Ming Ming picked up her glass and brought it crashing down on the table, shattering it into hundreds of tiny shards. "Stop! Stop this at once!" she screamed. "This was supposed to be a peaceful dinner party but instead it's a battle of egos! Our pasts and experiences differ, but we all have one thing in common here – we've all been used! We are all wounded! And instead of fighting each other, we should be helping one another!"

"Maybe you should've made that clear to your teammate," Ian retorted.

"You're no better than the thugs on the street," Mystel said. "I thought there was an unspoken rule between bladers about resolving your fights in the stadium. I wonder who the true bladers are now?"

"Mystel, quiet. You're not making things better," Garland said. Mystel shot him a sullen look but said nothing further. "Ming Ming is right. We should be learning to get along with each other not making things more difficult. This… incident should never of have happened, and if word gets out to the media, that's the end for both of our teams."

If only Crusher was here tonight but the man was caring for his younger sister. The treatment had been successful, but she had a long recovery process to undertake. "Then we agree to keep this silent," Tala said. "We'll tell you about Boris if you keep this quiet."

"You're actually thinking of making a deal with these people?" Bryan said. "We can't even trust them!"

"I am a man of honour," Garland said. "When I give my word, I uphold it."

"You left your teammate vulnerable," Spencer said.

Garland spared Brooklyn a glance then turned back. "It wasn't my battle to fight."

Mystel stepped forward. "What can you tell us about Boris then? Bryan said he was in a Russian prison cell."

Nodding, Tala answered, "He's correct. When BEGA collapsed, authorities arrested Boris and deported him to Russia. He was thrown into a prison cell which is guarded twenty four seven. I suppose you want access to the funds he promised you? Don't look surprised – we went through something similar when BIOVOLT was brought down."

"I can't believe this…" Bryan muttered. "We're feeding them information they could use against us."

"Quiet, Bryan. You got us into a difficult position and we have no choice but to assist BEGA," Tala said his expression unreadable. Bryan rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, silent. Turning to face Garland, Tala added, "What you did last year won't ever be forgotten, and it's for that reason I can't ever wholly trust you or your teammates. But we do have something in common – we pledged our allegiance to a man who only wanted to use us for his own ambition, and he left us both in ruin. We can relate."

"We need to access those funds so we can travel to the tournament," Mystel said. "Catch up with old friends, you know. Resolve some differences and hopefully fix what's currently broken. Can you help?"

"I won't be much help. Boris recently declared bankruptcy. He is worth nothing anymore so there's no chance you'll get the funds you're entitled to from him directly. He put everything he had into creating BEGA and when it collapsed, his bank account dried up too."

"So we're stuck here?" Mystel replied.

"What about my record label?"

Mystel frowned. "Boris owned it. All the money would be his."

"There has to another way," Garland started. "If we can raise money…"

"And who would want to support us?" Mystel retorted. "No, we're on our own. Tournament starts in a few days – even if we were to run a fundraising event, it's too early. We need it now if we want to arrive in time."

"I have some money," Ming Ming said. "I can use the funds from my digital sales to help us."

"That will only cover one person," Garland replied. "It's not just flights we have to worry about. We have to think accommodation too. Since we're not actually competing, we have to come up with our own funds."

"Join up with another team," Tala said.

"We weren't going to compete again," Ming Ming pointed out. "Too soon."

"Tala makes a good point. We need to get to Australia as soon as possible. Best way to do that is to join up with another team," Mystel said.

"We don't have to be there so soon," Garland said. "We'd only miss the opening rounds of the quarters… there's still time to make it for the interesting battles."

Mystel shook his head. "No, you don't understand the importance. We need to be there from the start. I need to be there."

That was puzzling. Why did Mystel need to be at the tournament so badly anyway? "What's the rush?"

He looked troubled, as if in deep conflict with himself. "Mariah's going to be there, and I want to talk to her. Things happened and I need to get to her and explain before she moves on," he said. "I can't do that if I'm here. We can't raise enough money in a few short days. Only one of us can go, and the rest can join later. If I join up with another team…"

"I won't allow it," Garland said, shaking his head. "When we signed up for BEGA, we swore an unbreakable vow, 'always and forever'. We would always be there for one another no matter how bad things became. You departing the team is a betrayal of that oath you swore."

"I'll pay for Mystel," Ming Ming said, noticing the frustration on the blond's face. It was actually kinda sweet that he was so determined to chase down Mariah and fix up whatever had happened, and who would she be to deny him of that chance? "He really wants to be there more than any of us."

"Are you sure?" Mystel said.

Ming Ming nodded. "Yes. I'll book a ticket today."

A smile broke out across his face. It was the first time she had seen him that pleased in a long while. Mariah certainly was a lucky girl. "Thanks, Ming Ming. I really mean it."

"We're not just teammates, we're friends."

"Seems like you have it all worked out then," Tala commented.

"The rest of us will come as soon as financially possible. You and I should have a rematch at some point," Garland said. "Maybe we could help your team train before the big matches."

Bryan looked upset, but Tala nodded, extending a hand. Garland accepted his handshake. At least the captains were getting along. That had to count for something. "I look forward to that. Next time it will be much closer. We'll see you at the tournament then. Best of luck to you all." Tala said his farewells and led his team outside the building. Complete silence. No complaints. Nothing. If only her teammates gelled together better.

"I better get that ticket organized then."

Before the boys could say anything, Ming Ming headed to her room.

.

For hours Johnny followed Mariam through the shop, stopping every few minutes to examine a random product on the stocked shelves. Perfume. Moisturising cream. Hair stuff. As far as he was concerned, all this stuff was crap. No one cared how you looked when you battled in the beystadium, so why spend so much time and effort doing so? "This is boring," he whined, his irritation levels reaching sky-high.

Mariam glanced over her shoulder, giving him a cold look. "You're the one who wants a rematch."

"This isn't a fair trade!" Johnny complained.

The girl rolled her eyes, and shook her head sadly. "When I finish browsing, I'll give you your rematch... I don't think it's such a good idea though." She shrugged, flipping a lock of hair away from her face, "You will lose. You have no technique. It's just hit him hard and hope for the best."

Johnny's brow twitched. How dare she mock the McGregor style of battling! "Take that back, Mariam. You got lucky, that's all. I'll make you eat your words," he said, glowering.

Again, the girl shrugged. "Whatever." She didn't even spare him a glance this time, instead choosing to focus on the products. It was obvious to Johnny that Mariam thought of him as inferior to her skills and that itself annoyed him. He was a champion blader and he ought to be treated like one! He blamed his anger on her wasting precious time. He was like a dog on her leash, but for whatever reason, he couldn't take control. She had beaten him fair and square and that continued to infuriate him.

"Look at me when I'm speaking, dammit!" he snapped, temper beginning to get the best of him.

She did. "I'm looking, but I'm not impressed," she replied lazily.

Having Mariam looking back at him like this made him pay close attention to her features. He found himself unable to pull his gaze away from those intense emerald eyes. And that cute button nose! Wait. What? Cute? Johnny mentally slapped himself. He did _not_ think cute. No way. He was _not_ Enrique or Oliver. He could feel her eyes watching him demanding a response. _Think McGregor, think,_ he scolded himself. _Pull yourself together. It was just one match. You can beat her, but make it interesting!_

Pulling himself out of his trance, Johnny forced a smirk. "I was holding back. Next battle will be far more impressive. What do you say we make things a lot more interesting?"

"Oh?"

"Well, when I win, you..." Damn. His mind went blank. He really should have thought this one through first. "You have to pay for lunch."

"That seems hardly fair considering your background," Mariam replied bluntly.

"Are you scared?" he taunted.

She shook her head. "I think you should buy me dinner tonight. After all, I _did_ defeat you. Besides, our rematch should happen during the tournament that way the entire crowd can see for themselves who truly deserves the title of 'better blader'."

She had style. He had to give her that much credit. She certainly knew how to lead him on. It was like giving someone a kiss then kicking them in the pants seconds later. It stung. A lot. "Dinner?" he repeated. "I didn't think you were one for fancy meals."

"I never said anything about a fancy three course meal, but if you're offering, I'm happy to accept."

Dammit. He couldn't even beat her in a war of words. "Fine. Where do you want to go?"

"You're the rich one here. Shouldn't you know of the best places to dine at?"

Not really. Truth was he hardly ate out. It just wasn't his thing. "I don't eat out much, especially not at fancy five star restaurants. That's what my teammates do, but I'm not like them."

"So… you're a snob that doesn't like other snobs? Snob elitism?"

He frowned. "No. I just… dislike them." He stopped himself short of explaining his real reasons for disliking other rich people. Mariam was basically a stranger to him. She didn't need to know his life story or his family's struggles to be accepted within the millionaire community. "I'm sure it's the same for you. You said you came from a clan, yeah? You probably don't like the other ones much."

"There's only two clans left that are somewhat at odds with us. The White Tiger tribe and the Bai Hu clan," she explained, flipping her long royal blue ponytail over her shoulder. "The White Tigers have personally never bothered me, but our elders think their tribe is weak. We embraced modern society, but the White Tigers continue to live in their traditional ways."

No different from the rich bastards within the millionaire community. You had to have a net worth of over a hundred million to be invited to best the VIP functions. If you were beneath that bracket, you weren't considered a true millionaire and were often mocked by other millionaires. Billionaires were even more arrogant.

"What's the Bai Hu clan?"

"A clan to the east of China. They're dangerous, but that's all I know about them. I've only heard about the clan in stories the elders shared when we were younger. Something about prehistoric bitbeasts. Bitbeasts so old they make our ones look young. At least, that's what we were told in the stories. But enough about them – we're going restaurant hunting. I saw a nice one the other day. It was a French restaurant."

One of Oliver's many restaurants. Of course she'd pick one of his. "It didn't happen to be on the river, did it?" The Drift restaurant. The city's first floating restaurant with a beydish. It was a first-class dining place with its own personal beystadium. He had been on it once. Typical posh environment only with rich bladers. Fortunately, all were pretty amateur.

"Yeah, that one."

"All right. We'll go there."

"Booking won't be a problem, will it?"

He shook his head. "Advantage of being on the same team as Oliver. There's always a table reserved for us at his restaurants. I'll give the chef a call at the place now – let him know we're coming." Hopefully, reporters wouldn't be in town. That would be embarrassing. Imagine the reaction if they caught him in a fancy restaurant with a _girl?_

' _Jonathon McGregor spotted with a girl – has he finally found the one?'_

He cringed inwardly. That would make his folks happy at least. They were always complaining about the fact Johnny wasn't like the other royal children. They even tried matching him up with a noble Scottish girl from a fellow clan. Needless to say, that had ended with the girl bursting into tears and calling him hateful names. Pushing the thought aside, he withdrew his phone and dialled the number of Henri. After three dials, the phone picked up.

"Hello, this is Henri Giacardy, manager of Drift Restaurant. How may I help?"

Although Henri couldn't see it, Johnny forced a grim smile. "Hey there, Henri. This is Johnny McGregor – Oliver's friend. Listen, I'm coming over tonight. Bringing a friend with me. Don't tell the other Majestics, okay? Don't put my name down in the records book." If this got out to Oliver and Enrique's ears… He'd never hear the end of it.

"I'm sorry, Jonathon, but I'm going to have to deny your request."

He tightened his grip on the phone. With a restrained growl, he said, "What?"

"The restaurant isn't opening tonight."

"What? What do you mean? It's always open!" Johnny blurted into the phone.

"We're paying our respects for the lives lost on the highway."

None of this was making any sense. "What the fuck?" he swore, not caring about phone manners. "Who cares? You don't just shut down a restaurant for one night because a few randoms died." He didn't care if that sounded rude.

"You haven't heard the news? Of course. You weren't there."

Mariam was frowning at him. "What's going on?"

He pulled away from the phone and said, "Give me a moment." He then brought the phone back to his head and turned away from Mariam. "What's really going on, Henri?"

"There was a car crash on the highway involving Robert, Oliver and Enrique. It happened a few hours after your… public debate with your teammates." So the article had been written about that. How was that not surprising? But wait – a car crash with his teammates? No way. "There has been no word of their status in twenty four hours. I'm sorry."

A cold chill raced down his spine. He didn't bother to reply and just ended the call. A car crash. Possibly fatal? No. They had to be alive. They were the Majestics, his teammates, and their lives were not going to end because of a car crash. "They're not dead!" he growled to nobody in particular.

"Johnny?" Mariam said softly.

Right. Mariam. He had forgotten she was even there. He turned around to face her, his brows knotted in anger. "Dinner's off. You can find your way home." The rest of his teammates had been on the way to the registration centre. He was supposed to have met with him, but hadn't bothered to even show up. He started walking away, a pit of anger boiling in his stomach. Not dead. Not dead. Not fucking dead.

"I'm not going anywhere, Johnny."

Persistent. She was just as stubborn as he was. "I have team matters to attend to."

"I heard enough of the conversation to assume your teammates are in trouble. You might pretend to hate them, but I think deep down you do care otherwise you wouldn't let this bother you," Mariam replied, standing directly in his path, both hands on her hips. "Don't you forget, I have a team too. Do you have any idea where they are?"

"Why do you want to help? You have no obligation to help me."

Did she have some ulterior motive to helping him? "Like I said, I have a team too, and if anything ever happened to them, I'd welcome any help I could get. I haven't read the paper, and I don't care to, but from what I've heard about you? You're not going to get much help from anyone else. Take what you can."

She made it pretty clear she wasn't going to go anywhere anytime too soon. "Just don't get in the way."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me. I can handle myself." Silence, then, "Where are we going?"

"We'll need to catch a lift there."

"Will anyone be willing to take you there considering it's a crash site now?"

He nodded. "I can go anywhere I please."

"That must be nice to have the world kneel before you."

He ignored the bite in her comment. "Enough yapping. Let's get moving."

His friends were alive. They had to be. Henri might've lost the faith, but Johnny knew they had to be alive still. It didn't end like this. It _couldn't_ end like this.


	14. The Awakening

Thanks to unaisa memon for reviewing the previous chapter

 **.**

 **Chapter Thirteen: The Awakening**

And so it had begun. The top scientists gathered before the wall, standing behind their machines. The plan was to launch an army of blades at once to cause the wall to collapse. Once the wall crumbled, the team would activate the high dose tranquilizer guns. When the beast was brought to the ground, they'd extract its power and place it into four carefully designed beyblades.

Judy wasn't convinced this would even work. If the beast was as powerful as Douglas believed it to be, surely it would easily break free? But Douglas insisted this would work. That he had been working on this for years now and it was bound to be effective. She couldn't argue with him; he was her boss after all, and the man responsible for introducing her to this life.

All she could do was stand aside and hope for the best. Hopefully, it wouldn't take much longer. For days now she had been in the dusty mining town of Mt Isa. The town was basically devoid of entertainment – sure there was a rodeo show and a few bars in town, but that was it. It didn't help it was incredibly hot and dry.

Fortunately, the weather bureau predicted there would be heavy rain today as a low pressure system from the Gulf of Carpentaria came southwards. She could already see thick monsoonal type clouds above. Douglas came to her side and flashed a smile. He pointed to the thirty foot high cave wall. "This is it, Judy. All our long years of developing the best technology will finally have paid off."

She smiled back. "Is the team ready?"

"Almost. Mr. Granger just wants to take a few more photos and then we will be ready to go."

Tyson's father. He was the man who had been in charge of unearthing the mystery. If not for him, she'd be back at the hotel giving her team a debriefing session. But here she was standing before a great wall about to release a powerful bitbeast. She hadn't had the chance to speak with him yet, but she knew there'd be an opportunity too later.

"Sir, we are ready!" a scientist said.

Douglas held out his hand. Judy accepted it, and allowed him to guide her back towards the main team. There were ten scientists in total and a couple of miners. She caught Tyson's father standing to the far right. "On the count of three, you will release the blades. Remember, as soon as the wall crumbles, the darts must be fired at once."

"Yes, sir!"

"One…"

Tightening her fingers around Douglas's hand, Judy peered up at the wall, trying to fight back her nerves. Was this a mistake?

"Two…"

"Get ready, team!"

"Three… Now!"

The first wave of high powered blades was released. They flew towards the wall and slammed into it, the impact creating a mini shockwave, but the wall stood firm. Douglas gave the order to launch the second wave. More blades sailed forward at high speeds. This time, a few small cracks appeared. It was actually beginning to break.

As the third wave of blades flew towards the wall, rain drops started to fall. Glancing skywards, Judy noted the dark thick clouds hanging above. Menacing almost. A sign of things to come? An omen? "It's beginning to break," Judy pointed out, noting how the cracks were becoming wider and more prominent.

"Yes, soon the beast will be unleashed and its power will be ours."

Another shockwave. This time one so powerful it almost knocked them all off their feet. Douglas regained his composure and said, "That should be enough force now. Prepare for the next phase."

Still clasping Douglas's hand, Judy kept her eyes fixated on the wall. Cracks ran in all different directions, all branching off from the central main one. All was silent except for the sound of falling rain. No one dared to speak. Then she heard it. A faint pounding noise coming from behind the door. Each pound caused the wall to shake. Bits and pieces of dirt and rock fell to the ground.

"Hold your ground, team," Douglas said.

A flash of lightning caused her to jump. She hadn't been expecting that. A few moments later, a roar of thunder echoed throughout the town. The other scientists glanced up – she could see the uncertainty on their faces, and knew she had a similar one on her face too. Turning her head back to the wall, she jumped again when the ground shook once more.

Rain bucketed down limiting her visibility. Now she could only vaguely make out the cracks in the wall. Another flash of lightning followed by another low roar of thunder. Instinct told her to flee, to get away from this place as possible, but her legs refused to budge. All she could do was watch. The pounding became more desperate and more forceful causing the cracks to widen.

Then a scream. A high-pitched bloodcurdling scream that brought her down to her knees. Clutching her head with both hands, she tried to dull the pain, but the scream only became louder. Warm liquid seeped through her fingers, the pressure on her eardrums becoming too much. More screams joined in, some deep bellowing roars, whilst others were more high-pitched. Tortured screams all coming together as one like some frenzied choir.

Fortunately, the screams died down. Steeling her jaw, she forced herself to her feet. Pain seared through her body, but she still found the will to stand and face whatever was breaking through the wall. More lightning. Another rumble of thunder. It was like a scene out of an action fantasy movie only this was very real.

The wall exploded. Bits of cave wall flew in various directions, narrowly avoiding hitting the scientist team. Through the blinding rain, Judy made out a large hulking shape coming forwards. Glowing cat eyes as red as blood was the only thing she could make. The head of the creature and its head alone was larger than any bitbeast she had ever seen.

"Now!" Douglas bellowed.

The scientists leaped into action, frantically hitting the tranquiliser dart button on their machines. She couldn't see the darts herself, but they must've hit their target as the creature elicited a harsh cry of annoyance. Something hit the ground with enough force she flew upwards a good metre or two then crashed back down.

"Keep firing them! We will bring it down!"

The barrage of darts continued. She could hear the creature bellowing in anger, and almost felt a pang of sympathy for it. That sympathy was soon erased from her mind when she was thrown backwards. Her head slammed against the ground. Pain seared through her body. Her head felt like it was on fire. She tried to lift her head up, but sudden weakness overcame her. Someone called out her name. She tried to speak, but no voice would come.

Blackness consumed her.

.

Several months later and once again he was at the airport. The last time Tyson had departed Japan it had been with a heart filled with anger and sadness. Max and Rei had abandoned him to represent their home teams leaving him alone to defend himself. He had seen it as a betrayal. They had seen it as a chance to prove themselves.

Now here they were again in the same place at the same airport. Fortunately, history wasn't repeating itself. The team were whole again, and this time, nothing could tear them apart. Of course, Daichi was still missing, and the boy had yet to respond their messages. Perhaps he felt his services were no longer required? Either way, he hoped Daichi would reach out to them again. He might not have been there from the beginning, but the boy had proven himself to be one of them.

Hilary joined his side before the window. Kenny was charging his laptop, whilst the rest of the team were lining up at the café for food and drinks. He turned to smile at her then looked out the window again. The sun was just starting to rise. He could see it starting to appear on the horizon marking the beginning of another new day.

"Another new day," Tyson remarked.

"You must be excited," Hilary said.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't, but I'm also hesitant."

Hilary reached out to grab his arm. The move surprised him, and he turned to face her, eyebrows raised. "You're going to be fine, Tyson. We all are. Whatever odds we may face, I know you boys will triumph. You've had your backs against the wall before," she said softly.

At first, he had hated Hilary. The wicked witch of eighth grade as he once labelled her. That had been three years ago and a lot had changed since then. Now he was sixteen. A year older, but another year wiser. They argued a lot, but each argument only seemed to draw them closer to each other. "Last year I stood in this very same spot and watched my teammates leave me," he said slowly, turning back to the window. "I felt my world fall apart. Two years we had worked together and they just… left me. It feels weird to be standing here again knowing the history."

"We're a team once again. Isn't that what you wanted? To defend your title with your closest friends at your side?"

"I can't help but think… What if this is the last year for us?"

"You're thinking about King's words."

He snorted. "Something happened to him to make him fall back into old habits. I thought I had gotten through to him… That I had helped him become a better blader… But maybe… Maybe some people never change. Everyone wants a piece of me, Hil. Everyone expects me to perform at the top level every time I step into that beydish." These were words he couldn't speak of with his male friends. They wouldn't understand. But Hilary listened. "And every time I blade, I have to face off against an old friend or a new foe."

He felt her fingers entwine with his. Whether she had done that intentionally or not, he didn't dare bring it up. She'd become embarrassed and pull away, and a moment like that wouldn't happen again for some time. "You know I'll always be there for you, Tyson. The whole team has your back."

"I know, but I can't shake off this feeling that we're getting involved in something far greater than ourselves. Do you feel it? A sense of uneasiness in the air around us?"

"You're talking about recent events."

He nodded. "When I sleep at night, I see Stanley's bleak eyes staring up at m, and they're asking me 'why?' I'm the champion blader and I couldn't do anything to help him. And when…" He looked away again, unsure of how to express himself. "…When you didn't answer your phone, I feared the worst. I didn't… I…" He stopped short, uncertain. People often said he was an emotional blader, but when it came to matters like this, he became stuck. He had no problems in expressing anger, but an emotion other than that?

Fortunately, Hilary didn't press for answers. "But I'm here and I'm in one piece," Hilary said. "And I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to leave, Tyson."

He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I would never ask you to leave. You keep this team from falling apart. You're the glue that holds us all together, and without you… I don't think we'd even be standing there right now." No matter how many times he had pushed her away, she always returned. She didn't know much about blading, nor even how to blade, but her passion for the sport was immense. She often helped Kenny with the maintenance of his blade and organized his training schedules to keep him in shape. How many other non-blading girls would commit themselves like that?

"Like I said, Tyson, the only way you're going to get rid of me is if you asked me to leave."

Tyson didn't know what love was. At least, not romantic love. Back when he was a kid, his grandfather used to try and set him up with some sweet girls, but Tyson never looked their way. Blading was the most important thing in his life. He didn't have time for girls and relationships and all that other stuff guys of his age were getting into.

So he wasn't quite sure how he felt in regards to Hilary. Friendship, yes. He was certain of that. She still managed to get on his nerves from time to time, but he liked that about her. Yes, he would always argue back and things would get quite heated, but once the flames had dimmed down, they'd be friends again. But was that all it was? Just friendship? What was love even supposed to feel like anyway? That was something he was still trying to work out.

If Hiro was around, he could probably ask, but his elder brother had disappeared without a trace. No text message. No letters. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps he had been so ashamed of himself that he had departed? Perhaps his fellow teammates would have answers to the questions he sought, but none of them had any real romantic experience to draw upon. Kai definitely didn't. Rei and Mariah shared the same past, but Rei didn't seem interested in pursuing her. As for Max, Mariam had vanished and left him hanging without answers.

Somehow, he doubted he'd get any real advice from his fellow teammates. As his grandfather often said, sometimes you just have to work out things for yourself. Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of time to delve on such things. New tournament in a few days and new threats to worry about. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to work this all out. For once, it would be nice to be just the ordinary guy and worry about everyday things than the fate of the world.

"Hey Tyson, you want a muffin?" Max said.

Tyson pulled out of his thoughts and turned around. Hilary was already sitting down next to Kai with the rest of the team. Just for how long had he spaced out for? "Yeah sure." He followed Max to the table and sat down on Hilary's opposite side. "So, since all registrations have now closed, what teams are we going to be facing?"

Kenny placed his laptop on the table and brought up the screen. "The Charming Princes, Spintensity, The Majestics, The Avengers, The Demolition Boys, the All Stars, the Blade Sharks, the Spin Shephards, the White Tigers, the Savage Slammers, the Tall Boys, the Saint Shields, the Bai Hu Clan, the Horsemen, the Renegades and Down Under."

"So no BEGA, no Team Psykick and no FDynasty… So much for eight teams competing, but I suppose he was referring to the part beyond the qualifying rounds," Rei said. "That's going to make for an interesting tournament, especially with the new rules. It's kinda like a throwback to the first tournament when we were building towards the top."

"Wonder who the new faces are? Anything about them on the page?" Max said, peering over Kenny's shoulder."

Kenny shook his head. "There's nothing at all."

"It'll be great to battle the Majestics again," Max said. "This time, I want to have a chance to fight them."

"Who are we blading against first?" Hilary said.

Kenny took a sip of his water then answered. "We're battling… Spintensity. You remember them. Mario, Frankie and Luiz."

"Yeah, I remember," Rei said. "They were a pretty tough team. It'll be great to see how much they've improved since then. Who is going to blade? The rules state that we each must blade at least twice and win the best of three matches overall."

They all looked to Kai. "You'll be glad to know I've come prepared. I've already worked out our schedule in lead up towards our first match. Kenny, you'll blade first. You'll be facing Mario. Max, you'll fight Frankie, and I'll battle Luiz. Rei and Tyson, you have a bye for this round, but you'll both start for the next one. Once Kenny has bladed his two battles, we'll start a rotation based on performance."

"Fostering a bit of competition between us," Rei said with a nod. "Effective strategy. It'll keep us all on our A-game and keep our opponents guessing our next move. The stadiums are pretty ordinary at this stage of the game. We'll be blading in normal dishes, but once we qualify, we'll start blading in the challenge ones."

"We should watch all the games we can," Hilary said.

Kai nodded. "I've designed the schedule to allow times to watch the other matches. We need to know how our opponents are battling and what to expect when we face them in the dish. A lot has changed since the last time we were all here – not to mention, we have these new names, the Horsemen and the Bai Hu. I want to know who they are."

"So Rei and I have a bye match."

"Don't think that means you can slack off on training," Kai said.

Tyson smirked. "The thought never crossed my mind." His smirk faded. "Just remember what we're fighting for here. We don't quite know what we're up against yet, but as history as taught us, there's always something dodgy going on behind the scenes. We might not be representing the BBA, but we still fight for them and for the memory of Stanley Dickinson."

"Agreed," Rei said.

"May he never be forgotten," Max concluded.

"Calling all passengers for Flight JA497. That is all, all passengers for the Japan Airlines Flight JA497. Please report to Gate 47 now," said a female voice through the intercom.

"Well, that's our flight," Hilary said, rising to her feet. "I'm sitting with Kai on the left window, Row F, Seat A."

"Row E, Seat B," Max said. "I think I'm with you Tyson."

"And I'm with Kenny on the row behind you," Rei said. "At least none of us are in the middle seats."

"Kai and I will organize the schedule for next week. We should win our first round," Hilary said.

Tyson stifled a yawn. "I think I'll sleep. Just wake me up when the food comes."

They all chuckled. "Some things never change," Rei remarked. "Come on, let's get on our plane."

.

To say Brooklyn was pissed would be an understatement. The prodigy had already blown a gaping hole in the fence out the back. An angry Brooklyn was a fearsome sight to behold for those not accustomed to his bouts of anger. But Garland knew how to handle him. Let him vent until he ran out of things to stay. The best way to achieve that? A beyblade battle.

"I'm going to _end_ his wretched existence," Brooklyn hissed, ordering his blade to slam into Garland's. Apollon was driven back, but his bitbeast was no slouch. He was able to hold his ground but the dish was beginning to crack. Brooklyn would eventually overpower him – he just had to hope Brooklyn would calm down before the dish was totally destroyed.

"There's nothing we can do about Bryan and his teammates right now, Brooklyn," Garland said. Ming Ming was standing a few metres away, looking rather concerned. She looked ready to flee, and he couldn't blame her. Brooklyn in one of his violent moods was dangerous. "We should focus on what matters – raising the required funds to travel to Australia and support our teammate."

Which was going to be no easy task. For starters, how exactly were they going to raise the right amount within the next few weeks? Who would want to support them and get behind the team? No one on their right mind would want to donate funds to a team that caused so much destruction. Garland's train of thought was interrupted by Brooklyn's blade slamming into his. A mini shockwave rocked the earth.

"Then we hunt down every BEGA employer and we take what is rightfully ours," Brooklyn snarled. Zeus pulled back then rammed forward, pushing Apollon to the dish's edge. Already, he could see the beginnings of cracks appear in the steel. "We can find them. We take them out. Those funds belong to us. We made BEGA what it was. They did nothing."

To inflict more violence upon the world and give the public even a greater reason to fear them. That's exactly what he didn't want, but he was running out of options. Unless some kind blading team decided to donate funds, he couldn't see any other option. His family members had cut off contact him, so he couldn't reach out to them. Ming Ming's funds had been used up. Crusher used all his money to pay for Monica's operation. He wasn't sure what happened with Mystel and Brooklyn's money but he assumed it was all gone too.

"We leave Crusher out of this. He's already got enough on his plate," Garland said. To his surprise, Zeus pulled back. Odd, and very unlike Brooklyn. He looked up at his opponent and frowned. Brooklyn had a hand to his head. He looked to be in… pain? "Brooklyn?" He ordered Apollon to keep his distance.

"I'm fine, I just-argh!" Brooklyn dropped to his knees, and hunched over, his palms on the ground. Zeus too began to reflect his blader's status. The blade wobbled, his spin rotation starting to slow down. Very troubling. His blader's condition rapidly worsened. Brooklyn was now lying on the ground, clutching his head in pain, screaming.

Garland caught Ming Ming's eyes. They were wide with fright. Most likely he was wearing the same expression, but he had to remain calm. After warning Ming Ming to stay back, he rushed over to Brooklyn's side and kneeled down beside him. "Brooklyn? Talk to me."

More yelling. Pained. Tortured. Cries of agony. It was like he was being assaulted by invisible weapons. He was even trembling. "Get out of my head – argh! – go away – I will not allow you – arghhhh!" He was talking to someone, but who? Garland couldn't see a bitbeast. A vision? Brooklyn hadn't spoken of them ever since last year.

"Garland, Zeus!" Ming Ming cried out, frantically pointing at the dish.

Garland glanced back. Bitchips usually glowed a bright white, but Brooklyn's one was emitting a dark purple colour. That wasn't normal. Things became even stranger when Zeus rose up from the bitchip basked in a purple light. He hadn't even been summoned. "Apollon!" Garland called out, summoning his bitbeast. "Take him down!"

An out of control bitbeast. A bitbeast with a mind of its own? Never had he heard of such a thing happening before. Zeus flared his wings and bellowed at the sky. The creature thrashed wildly, destroying the remains of the fence, sending it flying through the air. Ming Ming threw herself out of harm's way as a few plants sailed towards her.

"Brooklyn!"

He was still on the ground, now writhing in agony. It pained him to see him like this, but what was he supposed to do? Zeus was out of control and Brooklyn… he wasn't sure what was happening there. Apollon charged forward, ramming his head into the stomach of Zeus, forcing the centaur-type creature to stagger backwards. Zeus clawed at the air then kicked a leg out, successfully hitting Apollon.

In the corner of his eye, Garland saw Ming Ming rush forward, her blade raised and ready to be launched. Before he could stop her, she launched her blade. Her blade sailed through the air, and immediately, Ming Ming summoned her bitbeast. Now it was two against one, but even so, Zeus would not be so easily thwarted.

The bitbeasts grappled with each other. Zeus slashed at his rivals, whilst Apollon and Venus did their best to stand their ground. Apollon kicked his hind legs to beat away Zeus's arms from grabbing Venus. Venus used her hind legs to kick Zeus in the face. The beast roared, spewing out some abhorrent looking flame.

"Ming Ming, get out of here!"

"I'm not turning my back! Brooklyn needs our help! We have to take him out! It's the only way!"

Knock Brooklyn unconscious in other words. Ming Ming raised a good point – a bitbeast drew upon the energy of its blader. If Brooklyn was knocked out, Zeus should return to his blade. A risky move, but he couldn't just stand here and watch Brooklyn have a seizure. "Forgive me," Garland said, as he delivered the knockout blow.

Zeus gave another mighty roar then returned to his blade.

"Garland, what's going on?" Ming Ming said.

Garland had no words. How could he answer a question he didn't know the answers to?

.

"I knew we should've booked a later flight," Bryan muttered, planting himself down next to Tala in the seat. They were in the middle aisle in Row F which just happened to have both Kai and Hilary it in. They were next to the window on the right side. "Now we have to look at Kai's ugly mug for ten hours straight."

"We don't have to talk to him, Bryan. Just pretend he's not even there," Tala said, sitting down on the far right seat which just happened to be the one closest to Kai. Bryan was secretly glad Tala was on the end. If he had to sit that close to Kai, he'd probably throttle him and that wouldn't end well. "Remember to be on your best behaviour. That incident with BEGA should not have happened."

"You can't seriously be scolding me for that? Come on, you know the prick deserved it."

Spencer and Ian sat down on the left side. Tala gave Bryan a sideways glance. "Okay, I admit, Brooklyn deserved that, but we can't do that to our opponents in the beystadium."

"It would make things a lot easier," Bryan answered.

"This isn't a flex your muscles competition, Bryan. If it was, we would've been holding the trophy last year."

Bryan rolled his eyes. Long flights made him snappy. He always became restless. The movies were always boring. The music was lame. And the food was so bad half the time. Not to mention being stuck in economy class where the seats were far too small. But the worst part? The crying children. Why did parents have to bring babies with them? They were so incredibly annoying.

"Bryan. Stop making those eyes. People will think you're going to rip out the chair in front of you," Tala remarked, pulling out his trusty iPod. "I know I said we have to be aggressive, but that chair has done nothing to you."

Bryan just scowled. It was easy for Tala. He had something to do. The captain settled in his chair, and plugged in his earphones and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of whatever music he was playing. Kai was busy talking to Hilary about something. They were both scribbling stuff on a notebook. Either they were planning for the tournament or Kai had suddenly developed a love for sketching.

Bryan turned to his other companions. Ian was watching some car movie on the in-flight entertainment whilst Spencer was busy playing some game on his laptop. He watched the blond giant move his 'player character' (which was a little red heart) around the screen dodging various things.

"What are you playing?"

" _Undertale,"_ Spencer replied.

Oh, that game. Yes, Bryan had heard much about that horror. It was some popular indie game available for a cheap price on Steam. Bryan wasn't a big fan of games that involved evading things – he preferred games where he got to kill people – but Spencer seemed pretty engrossed with it. "I want to play."

Spencer frowned. "Bryan, settle down. You haven't been the same since that dinner."

The dinner had been a rather awkward experience. He hadn't even had the chance to eat some of the delicious food on the table, but Brooklyn deserved what he had received. A punch in the face, and hopefully a broken nose from it. A part of him, a very small part, did feel a little guilty. The girl – Ming Ming – had look absolutely shattered once the punch had been thrown.

"Do you think I did the right thing? Punching that prick?"

Spencer switched off his game, and closed the lid. "I think Brooklyn deserved it."

"But?"

Spencer sighed. "You know he's going to make things difficult for us, right?"

"But he's still in Japan, and we're on our way to the tournament that he's not competing in."

"I'm not scolding you or anything, Bryan, but watch your back. Tala doesn't trust Brooklyn or BEGA, and I don't blame him. They could be up to something."

"Isn't that the same perception people have of us? That because of our background with Boris that we're naturally scheming?" He read the comments online during their downtime sessions. Some people wrote stories about them and their time during the Balkov Abbey days (mind you, they were all full of shit in his opinion – he was not gay), but most people assumed the Demolition Boys were dangerous. Some people still thought they were working for Boris. Idiots.

"That's what we are trying to change."

Bryan sighed, resting his hands in his lap. "So we're up against the Blade Sharks first. Who are they?"

"Kai's old gang," Ian quipped. "I saw one of their matches on BeyTube. They're just wannabe tough guys. We'll wipe the floor with them. Tala says we're all battling in the first match of the tournament. You're up first Bryan, then Spencer then myself. I can't wait to hit the stadium again and show off Wyborg to the world."

"I wonder who the Horsemen are? And the Bai Hu Clan are?"

Spencer shrugged. "I don't know. Their pages don't have any pictures or anything. It's really weird. They've obviously been accepted and all, but it's odd how empty their pages are. Maybe they forgot to share a picture?"

"Or they have something to hide."

Silence, then, "Does anyone have a rubber band?" Ian said.

"Yeah, here you go," answered Spencer, handing the younger blader one.

A devilish smirk crossed Ian's face. He picked up the band, placed it around his fingers then aimed it at Kai. On the count of three, he released it, firing it across three chairs and hitting Kai in the side of the face. Kai picked up the rubber band and looked in their direction. "Very mature, Ian." He put the rubber band away into his pocket. "I can see why you didn't blade for the Blitzkrieg Boys last year."

Tala pulled out his earphones and looked at his teammates. "Just ignore him. Kai's words mean nothing. Don't allow him to wound you up. Save that for the day we meet his team in the beystadium." He put his earphones back in again, not once throwing a look in Kai's direction. Tala disliked Kai as much as the rest of the team (perhaps even more), but he was showing great restraint.

"Yeah, Tala's right. Kai's worthless," Bryan said.

And with that said, Spencer pulled up his game again.

.

It was odd being on the plane without his teammates. In some ways, it was actually kinda refreshing having some space from them. He didn't have to listen to Garland's lectures or be on the receiving end of Brooklyn's sarcastic comments. However… it was quite lonesome. There were other blading teams on the plane, but he wasn't close with any of them. Besides, they were in the front part of the plane's economy class. He was right at the tail end. How unfortunate.

He leaned back in his chair. Ten hour flight to Brisbane from Japan. Long flight and an early one too. At least he could spend the rest of the flight catching up on some sleep. In a few short days the tournament would begin starting off with a grand opening ceremony. To think that all the top blading teams were all going to be in one place at the same time was pretty exciting. It was just a shame his team didn't have the funds to compete in it.

"It's been a long time, Mystel."

Upon hearing his name, he jolted up in his seat. So much for dozing off. He rubbed his eyes and look at a woman with long black hair sitting right next to him. Her eyes were as black as night, and her nose slightly curved upwards at the tip. There were faint freckles on her pale cheeks, but it was the markings on her face that caught his attention. A vertical scar running down the centre of her left eye.

His heart skipped a beat, but he managed to keep himself composed. "Dohna." A name 'female deity' in Tibetian. Master Li's daughter. The one who taught him the ways of the 360 attack. "You've been following me."

"I'm glad you remember me. I heard you met the boys in town the other day."

"What do you want from me?"

She didn't smile. "Your services are required. I'm sure you've heard about the new team joining the tournament?"

"No. I don't follow the news."

"Master Li has entered us in the tournament. We have one space left…"

He tightened his jaw. "If you think I'm going to work for you, you're wrong. I'm not here to compete in some lousy tournament."

"You don't have a choice, Mystel. You never leave the brotherhood once you've joined. Don't you remember swearing upon the oath when you first joined us?"

He remembered. He remembered it all too clearly, and wished he could erase it from his memory. He had been about eight years of age at the time. His parents had abandoned him in the forests of China because they hadn't the funds to look after him. When he thought he was going to perish, Dohna and her fellow clansmen appeared.

They gave him a simple choice – serve or die. He had obviously chosen to serve. For years he spent days and months training in the wilderness in a secluded part of the forest, practicing the 360 attack. The Bai Hu were masters of control – every movement they made with their blades was one hundred percent accurate. There was no room for mistakes.

"How could I not remember? You made me use my blade to kill an innocent young panda." A sickening act, but as an eight year old naive and somewhat foolish boy, he had done as asked. Kill a baby panda and offer it as a sacrifice on the altar before the tribe shaman. Swear the oath, douse your face in the bowl of the blood, and you had become part of the tribe. "I left your people long ago, and I'm never going back. That part of my life is over."

"It only ends when you die, and even then, your soul returns to join the ancestors. You pledged your allegiance to us, and in turn, we provided you with a home. Was it not us who taught you the blading moves you know today? And you can't deny that – we all saw your display in the BEGA tournament. We are your creators, Mystel. You should show us some respect. We taught you everything you know."

She was certainly smug about it. As if he needed reminding of a past he was trying to get away from. "Why show up after all these years of silence?"

"You ran away. We couldn't find you. It was just our luck you joined up with BEGA. That made it a lot easier to track you down." She wrapped a slender finger around a lock of hair and smirked. "Don't seem so surprised, Mystel. You should've known that you couldn't run forever. The past always catches up."

"And I've moved on from that. I have a better group of people to call allies now."

She looked around then turned back, amused. "Then where are they? I don't see your 'friends'."

He held back a growl. No point in creating a scene on a plane trip. "So why are you here on this plane? What exactly do you want from me?"

"You remember that you were assigned to spy on the White Tiger village. You failed that mission much to the Master's disproval. But he's willing to give you another chance to make amends – there's a bigger prize to aim for now. A powerful bitbeast waits in the darkness and we've come to claim it."

He made a derisive snort at the absurdity of her comment. A powerful bitbeast? Like he hadn't heard this one before. "Tell me something I haven't heard before."

"You know our bitbeasts are old. Very old. Prehistoric. Just as old as the four sacred bitbeasts. But there's something else out there that is even older, and far more powerful. The Master senses it, and that's why he's sending us to compete in the tournament. To find this bitbeast and put an end to it." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "And you're going to help us by taking the last position on the team. Why do you think our profiles are empty? We were waiting for you."

"You think I'm going to believe your lies about some powerful bitbeast? Your lies are the reason that I left in the first place," he snapped, pushing her hand off his shoulder. A few nearby passengers glanced in his direction. "You wanted me to spy on the White Tigers to scope out the place and find a weak spot. And now you want me to help you find some bitbeast? For what gain?"

"The life of those you value most."

Dohna wasn't bluffing. He knew her well enough she would happily finish off the task he was supposed to have done. "You leave the White Tigers alone."

"So quick to defend them… It's the pink-haired girl, isn't it?"

"Leave her out of this."

A smile spread across her face. "Oh young love. How I miss it. You know there's no future with her. … Once she figures out who you really are that is. We'll leave her alone… if you agree to blade for us. If you don't… we'll let's just say Stanley Dickinson isn't going to be the only person on our death list." She chuckled.

"So it was your people who killed him. Assassinated the man in cold blood for no reason," he said, keeping his voice low. Foolish move. Killing the man had only unsettled the blading world… unless… that's what their aim had been. To create an unstable environment. Keep everyone on their toes. Make people afraid of the unknown. "What for? What could you have possibly gained from that?"

"Don't act like you care, Mystel. The man never meant anything to you. He outlived his use. Surely, a part of you must have disliked the man if you were willing to sign up with his greatest rival."

What a predicament he was in. "Fine. I'll be your final blader, but you better uphold your end of the deal." He wished Ming Ming had enough funds to fly Brooklyn over. He could really do with his blading skills and raw power right now. "No one gets harmed."

"I thought we'd come to an agreement. I'm glad this was resolved peacefully."

She stood up. "Don't go anywhere – not that you would have far to go – but I'll be right back. We have much to discuss you and I." As she moved past him, Mystel sank lower in his chair, and leaned his neck back. There was no chance of ever running away from who you truly were.

.

Brooklyn groaned. His entire body ached, as if he had been involved some vicious brawl and had gotten hit by an opponent built like a truck. His head was in even worse shape. It was like having one too many drinks and having the worst hangover the following day. Groaning again, he lifted his head. He was on his bed and looking up at the face of Ming Ming.

"He's awake, Garland," she said, pulling away. Garland appeared a few moments later with a glass of water in his right hand.

"My head feels like it's on fire," he muttered, pulling himself upright into a sitting position. "Last thing I remember was having a beybattle with you Garland. What happened?" Try as he might, he couldn't recall how he had ended up in his room. It was as if a part of his mind had been wiped clean.

"You lost control of Zeus," Garland said, handing the glass over. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to him, concern written all over his face. "You were yelling about something. Someone. Then you dropped to the floor and had some sort of a seizure. I had to knock you out."

"Well, that explains why my head feels like hell." He accepted the glass of water and took a few sips then handed it back to Garland. Lost control of Zeus. That hadn't happened before. And a seizure? That was also new to him. "I remember being angry at Bryan from that Russian team of wannabe tough-guys. Then… it's just a blank."

"You had a battle with Garland," Ming Ming said, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. "He's running a fever. You should really rest, Brooklyn."

A beybattle with Garland. Yes, that sounded familiar. "I remember feeling enraged. Genuine fury. Then it was all black," he said slowly, trying to recall the events as best as he could. A fight. Anger. Overpowering anger. Then blackness. Coldness. Emptiness. Then a voice. Something clearly not human and not a figment of his own imagination. Zeus had also disappeared. He rubbed his head.

"Did you have another vision?" Garland said quietly.

"I don't know what it was… But it wasn't like the others. But Zeus left me. I saw him pulling away, and there was nothing I could to bring him back. Every time I moved closer, he pulled further apart until he just vanished." Vanished into thin air. There was something else in the void. Something inhuman. Something he had felt before but had never seen. For once, he was worried. If something had invaded his mind and driven Zeus away then he had good reason to feel fear.

"How are you feeling now?" Garland said.

"Like I've had a bad hangover."

"At least his sense of humour remains unaffected," Ming Ming answered, though her tone was devoid of amusement. They were still looking at him with worried eyes. "I'm glad you're all right. Don't scare us like that again."

Maybe he hadn't given his teammates enough credit. Maybe they weren't that bad to have around after all. "I felt a presence in my mind. There was something else there… not Zeus. Something stronger. I've felt it before but never like this. I think that's why Zeus fled. He was afraid of something. That's why he spun out of control."

"What do you mean you felt it before?" Garland inquired.

"You remember those visions of the future I used to have? I used to think they came from Zeus, but now I'm not so sure. I'd always have this feeling there was something else watching from the shadows… But its presence today was so much stronger." He fell back down on his bed. "I stand by what I said before. We track down the rest of the BEGA team and we take back what is ours."

"Ming Ming and I will do that. You stay here and recover. You're no good to us sick," Garland said, rising to his feet. "I'll give Crusher a call so he can watch over you. I don't want you on your own."

"I don't need to be supervised."

Garland shook his head. "I'm the captain of this team, and I figure it's about time I start making the decisions around here. Mystel has gone off on his own and you hosted a dinner party without my permission. I make the decisions now. Is that clear?"

Brooklyn wanted to argue, but his head didn't agree. This was the worst hangover ever. "Fine, do what you think is best. Just get the funds that we need so we can fly down to Australia." Rolling over onto his side, he closed his eyes, wishing the pain would ease. His teammates picked up on the hint and left the room. He could hear their retreating footsteps.

Once they were gone, he sat up again. Digging a hand into his pocket, he pulled out his blade and placed it on his bedside table. A bitbeast losing control. _His_ bitbeast losing control. That didn't happen to professional bladers. So why had it happened? And why now? What had triggered it? The sudden surge of anger towards Bryan?

He helped himself to his glass of water again, finding some relief for his parched throat. What an eventful week it had been. Mystel and the Bai Hu Clan, Bryan attacking him and now this episode. Things weren't exactly looking up for the BEGA team. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he helped himself up and walked over to the door. He could hear Garland speaking to Crusher over the phone.

Just what he needed - the man mountain to watch over him as if he were some sick child that needed supervision. Crusher would probably bring Monica over with him too. What fun that was going to be. The man was too serious and way too sensitive. Pulling away from the door, he headed over to the only window in his room. He pulled back the screen door and drew in a deep breath, enjoying the crisp smell of nature.

"What happened there Zeus?" Brooklyn said, glancing down at his blade on the table.

No answer.

"I need you to work with me. That can't happen again."

Still no answer. Maybe Zeus was shaken too.

"Are you even listening to me? Why aren't-" Sharp pain exploded in his head. Pain so crippling it cause him to stagger forwards right into his bedside table. Throwing a hand down to support himself, he clenched his jaw as the intensity increased. Pain. Crippling pain. His knees gave way and he dropped on the floor, squeezing his eyes shut, willing the pain to fade away. As he lay on the floor again, he saw images. Glimpses of a serpent creature with multiple heads. It was fighting something, but he couldn't make out what. The opponent was just a shadow. As the creatures battled, and his vision blurred, he heard a voice speak:

 _I am Famine. I am War. I am Pestilence. I am Death. I am the Leviathan._


	15. Let the Games Commence!

Thanks to unaisa memon for reviewing the previous chapter

.

 **Chapter Fourteen: Let the Games Commence**

The opening ceremony to the grand battle was being held over at Suncorp Stadium. The venue had a capacity of fifty five thousand people, and every single seat was filled. It was amazing how global the sport had become. There were posters throughout the city streets, advertising the grand opening of the event. Movie stars, musicians, and athletes from other sports had come down just to witness it.

Tyson could hardly contain his excitement. He ran down through the hallway and flung the door open to their private room. The stadium had undergone recent renovations to provide extra rooms for the blading stars. They were basic, but it had all the essentials – beds, a fridge, and a microwave. Bathroom facilities were located in a separate area.

"This is going to be great," Max said, putting his suitcase on the bottom bunk on the left side of the room. "They've really gone to great lengths to make this like home."

Rei claimed the top bunk above Max's one. "So the qualifying rounds are held here. Where do we go next?"

Kenny put down his laptop and opened it. He brought up a new screen which outlined the tournament scheduling. "The tournament is spread over two weeks. Qualifying rounds are spread over three days and they take place here in Brisbane. We then travel down to Sydney and Melbourne for the quarters. After a two day break, we fly over to New Zealand for the semis and finals. It's a lot of travelling in a short space of time, but I think we can manage."

"Awesome!" Tyson cheered. He ran over to the bunk beds on the opposite side and claimed the one on the top, throwing his suitcase up. "This tournament is going to be sweet."

"We'll be required to attend the opening ceremony," Kai said. "We're supposed to collect our welcome packages from the main entrance as soon as we've settled in." He took the middle bunk bed and took the one on the bottom.

"An actual welcome package. That is new," Rei commented. "They really do want to make us feel at home. At least we'll know what's happening. "Previous tournaments they had Mr Dickinson handling all their transportation and accommodation needs. At least this time the BBA had decided to make it easier for everyone and provide accommodation site.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's get our welcome package!" Tyson said sprinting towards the exit before anyone else had a chance to speak up. To think it had been a year since the last tournament. How time went by so quickly. Tyson was already at the main hall when the others caught up with.

He recognized some of the teams from the first tournament lining up for their packages. The Charming Princes, the Spin Shepherds and Spintensity. He also spotted the White Tigers in the corner. Filled with excitement, Tyson rushed over to greet them. "White Tigers! It's good to see you again," Tyson exclaimed.

Lee glanced in his direction and smiled though it didn't meet his eyes. "It's nice to see you too, Tyson."

"What's the matter?" Tyson said. Mariah was sitting in the corner with her arms folded across her chest, and the other two boys, Gary and Kevin, were nowhere to be seen. Trouble in paradise? "Sibling fight?"

"Nothing to be concerned about. You just worry about the tournament and defending your title because we're not going to make it easy on you. You and I are well overdue for a fight," Lee said.

Right. Lee and Rei had battled to settle who was truly worthy of the White Tiger. "I look forward to blading you in the stadium, but I'm not going to make it easy on you."

Lee offered a smile. This one was genuine. "We'll see about that, Tyson. Hey, is Rei around? I'd like to have a word with him."

"Yeah, sure. They're on their way." He looked over his shoulder and spotted his teammates. "There they are." Tyson clapped a hand on Lee's shoulder, and added, "Well, see you soon." He walked over to join the queue. The excitement of being at the tournament again had made him temporarily forget his previous worries. How could anyone not be excited? It was the world Championships!

"Don't wear yourself out too early," Max said, joining him in the queue. "We need you, Tyson."

"I'm just so… thrilled to be here, that's all. To see all our friends again. We don't really catch up with the other teams in between tournaments." Most of his days were spent with Kenny and Hilary, and occasionally Max and Rei. Kai sometimes joined him, but as always, he liked to keep his distance, as if he feared he'd actually enjoy their company if he hung around too much.

"I hear you, Tyson. Just take it easy, yeah?"

Tyson nodded. The queue was moving quickly, and before he knew it, they were at the counter. A woman with long blonde curls smiled at him. "Welcome to the world championships, Tyson. Here's your welcome package for you and your team." She reached down below the counter and pulled out a plastic folder. "Inside you will find the flight schedule, the details of the opening ceremony, the day to day itinerary, the stadium dishes and a map of the city. I wish you and your friends the best of luck, Tyson. I hope you can defend your title again."

He said his thanks and walked back over to his team with Max. Tyson handed over the folder to Hilary for safe-keeping. A few journalists walked by and snapped a quick photo. To no surprise of his, DJ Jazzman was there and walking around interviewing people while journalists quickly scribbled down notes.

Kai jerked his head to the exit. "Come on. Let's move before they get to us. I'd rather not waste time answering silly questions. We're supposed to head down to the briefing room or something for a quick talk." He started leading them down a hallway to the right. They passed by the Demolition Boys on the way there who said nothing at all. They didn't even look in their direction.

"What did you do to annoy them, Kai?" Max said.

Kai snorted. "Long story, Max. Just don't ask questions about them, all right?"

"So the old sourpuss has returned…" Rei said, smiling. "Feels like old times already."

Even Kai spared a grin at that comment.

.

It had taken longer than it should've to convince someone to drive them towards the crash site. Taxi drivers had obviously learned of the disaster and wanted nothing to do with it. It had taken a few extra notes to hire a driver to transport them to the destination. The driver dropped them off a mile from the crash site and left immediately.

After hurling a mouthful of abuse at the retreating taxi driver, Johnny turned his attention to the road ahead. Mariam was still at his side – the girl refused to leave. Though he would never admit it out aloud he was glad for the company. She was the sort of girl his parents would fawn over. Strong, proud and clearly capable of looking after herself, unlike the girls Enrique had introduced him to.

"There's a van up ahead," Mariam said, lifting a hand, pointing towards the north.

He looked in the direction she was pointing at. The van had been knocked off the road and had fallen into a creek. "Shit," he murmured. Without wasting another second, he sprinted towards the crash site. He didn't even bother to check if Mariam was next to him – all that mattered now was rescuing his teammates.

"Robert? Enrique? Oliver?" Johnny called out as he neared the van. As he ran towards it, a surge of anger coursed through his body. Questions raced through his mind – who had done this? Why would they attack the Majestics? Had this been intentional? He was going to find the culprits behind this and he was going to make them suffer. He was going to make them regret ever crossing with-

"Johnny, I hear voices," Mariam said, breaking his train of thought.

He strained his hearing. She was right. He could hear the voices too. Muffled, but they were there. Alive. He glanced at the van again, wondering how to best remove it. He thought about using his blade but that could potentially be disastrous, especially if his teammates were trapped beneath it. But how else to remove it? He couldn't just wait around for help to come.

"...Jonathan… Is that you?"

Robert. He was the only person who called him by his full first name. He hated being that, but right now he was just relieved to hear it. He moved forward, closing the gap between himself and the van. That was when he saw it. The dent in the side of the van. Someone had rammed into the side with the clear intent of knocking it over.

Clearly, not accident either or the offending party would be present and trying to help out to relieve their guilt. That only made him feel angrier. What sort of asshole would flee from a crash site? "Who the fuck did this?" Johnny blurted out, unable to stop himself. Then he added, "I'll use my blade to remove the van."

"No," said Robert. There was a few seconds delay before he spoke again. "You can't risk it. Oliver's legs are trapped. Call for help – we'll need professional help to get us out of this mess in one piece."

"But,"

"Jonathan, leave it. There's nothing you can do for us here. Using your blade will only make matters worse. You can aid us by making a few calls."

Robert was right. He was always right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Still, he knew better than to argue. His teammates were trapped beneath the van, and from the sounds of it, Oliver was in a bad way. He dropped to the ground. Curling his fingers into a fist, Johnny punched the ground in a fit of rage. "Fuck!" he swore. "You fucking idiots! Why didn't you just do it online? Why the fuck did you have to drive out and register in person? This is your fault Robert!"

Silence. Robert didn't reply, and the silence only added to his growing fury. If his teammates had stayed in town then none of this would've happened. _You should be beneath that van too,_ a voice said in his mind. _You should be trapped as well if you had stayed with them._ A wave of guilt poured through him. He too should be trapped, but here he was on the outside in peak health, acting like a child and casting the blame when he should be helping them.

"I know," said Robert. "I know it's my fault."

"Just shut up!" he bellowed, his head starting to hurt. His teammates pinned beneath a van and he was the one who was unharmed and it was all because he turned his back on them. He should've been there with them but he left claiming he was better without the team. What if they had died in the crash? His last words would've been 'I hate you.' "We're going to get you out of here."

"We?"

Right. They didn't know about Mariam. "I met up with Mariam from the Saint Shields team. She's with me now." The van was wedged in the bank, and it wasn't going to budge without extra aid from a rescue team. His bitbeast could lift it, but that would require actually using his blade. From his current position, he couldn't tell just how badly injured his friends were. To think he only started to see the value in his teammates when they were on the brink of death. It made him feel like the worst person on the planet. "We're going to get you out."

"How do you propose we do that?" Mariam said, glancing at him. "The van has been flipped over and it's stuck in the creek. I'd say your friends are trapped beneath the chairs… otherwise they could easily climb out through the top."

A good observation. She was right. They'd have to pry off the sides of the van to have any hopes of getting them out and they lacked the tools for that. They would need superhuman strength to achieve the impossible. "I'm going to find the bastard who did this and I will make them suffer. I will show them the true wrath of the McGregor clan."

"Jonathon, you will do no such thing," Robert said in between pained gasps. "Finding the culprit will not change what happened here." He heard movement in the van below followed by a grunt. Never had he felt so helpless as he did now. Finding the culprit would at least give him some peace of mind. "If they return we need someone to protect us whilst we wait. Are you able to do that?"

Johnny ran a hand through his hair. "Yes," he snapped. He noticed Mariam entering a few numbers into her phone. She was doing what he was supposed to be doing – calling for immediate aid.

"What can you see?"

He looked around. There wasn't much to look at aside from the mountains in the distance. The road was clear both ways. Only bits of damaged van parts could be seen on the road… and a spinning blade? He squinted. "I see a blade." He arched his neck back and glanced up at the top of the cliff. Nothing but a few trees hanging over the side.

"A blade?"

Johnny didn't respond. He motioned for Mariam to stay behind as he walked over to investigate. The blade remained in place. Odd. The blade was here, but where was the blader? He turned around again, searching left and right, hoping to catch some glimpse of the offender. But there was nothing.

"Johnny, I saw something move," he heard Mariam call out. She was pointing towards a few tall bushes at the far end of the creek. He hadn't noticed anything suspicious himself, but he decided to investigate the matter further, ignoring Robert's order of remaining in place. If the culprit was here then he wasn't going to blow an opportunity and let them escape.

Ignoring Mariam's protests, Johnny sprinted over to the bushes. He poked his head over the side, but only saw a couple of rabbits nibbling on some grass. Releasing a frustrated sigh, he turned back to face Mariam. "Just a couple of rabbits," he called back. He pulled away from the bushes and started heading back when he was tackled to the ground.

"I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time," a voice said.

He recognized that voice. A familiar foe he hadn't seen in a few good years. Lupenix of the Dark Bladers had returned. He narrowed his eyes. "Lupenix… So you finally found your way back," Johnny drawled. "I take it you were behind this mess? Where's the rest of the freak show?"

A blade flew towards him. He threw himself out of harm's way, narrowly avoiding the wolf's blade. Uttering a growl, Johnny climbed to his feet and spun around. He reached for his blade only to realize it had been knocked out of his pocket when he had dropped. Before he could bend over to pick it up, his opponent lunged, his massive bulk knocking him back onto the ground again.

Johnny spat in his face then brought his head up, slamming his forehead into his opponent's nose. Lupenix drew back, distracted, and Johnny used that moment to throw a punch while his guard was down. Lupenix wasn't so easily taken advantage and raised both arms up just in time to deflect the attack.

The wolf kicked a leg out, successfully striking him in the left shin. "So you can fight… I'm impressed," he said. "But this isn't a beystadium, and in a street fight, it's all fair play. There are no rules and I'm free to do what I please." Lupenix drew back a fist then brought it forward, his knuckles slamming him in the right cheek bone.

He grunted, staggered back then tripped over onto his backside. Johnny was a blader, but he knew a few basics in hand-to-hand combat having been involved in quite a number of back alley brawls in his early years. But no amount of experience would help him here, especially not against a werewolf who clearly had a strength advantage in a physical fight. He needed his blade.

"You know, I have to say, I was little disappointed when I couldn't detect you on that van. You were the one I was hoping would suffer the most." Lupenix grabbed him by the scruff of the neck then shoved his face into the dirt. "But here you are now. Perfect timing for a beating wouldn't you say? The Bladebreakers aren't here to protect you now. You're all mine, and I'm going to make sure you feel the sting of my punches for a long time."

He could see his blade laying in the grass just a few metres away. If only he could get to it… With a grunt, he forced himself up from the ground. He managed to take a few steps when Lupenix knocked him back over. Groaning, Johnny rolled over onto his back. Lupenix hovered over him, a smirk crossing his features. The wolf's fingers were now clasped around his beyblade. Great. Just what he wanted to see.

"I think I will be keeping this," he said, putting the blade into his pocket. "You won't be needing it."

"What do you want?"

"I'd like my humanity back, but you took that away from me and now it's gone forever." Lupenix grabbed him by a tuft of hair and yanked him up to his knees.

Johnny managed a smirk. "Well, you can't have everything."

He immediately regretted those words when Lupenix punched him in the right cheek bone.

"You think you're really tough, but deep down you know you're just weak. You're too weak to face what's coming for you; we're doing you and your lousy friends a favour."

Johnny spat at the ground then glared up at Lupenix. "Funny that you talk about weakness when you're one of the weakest bladers I've ever crossed paths with. My one regret? Not ending your miserable existence."

That earned him a hard punch to the gut. He lurched forward and grimaced.

"I'd love to hurt you. Really hurt you, but the boss says I can't."

Boss? That meant Sanguinex and the rest of the freaks were here too hiding somewhere. "So, you horror movie rejects are around hiding like cowards. Can't say I'm really surprised."

He placed a hand on the ground to support himself upright. Before he could open his mouth to speak again, Lupenix grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him up to his knees. The wolf looked down on him, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. "Now you're the one on your knees. How does it feel, McGregor?"

He was reminded of the beybattle he had against Lupenix all those years ago. The beybattle that had earned him the title of champion of the United Kingdom. Now he was on his knees kneeling before the blader he had defeated. How things had changed since then. "You'll live to regret this," Johnny said, his tone laced with venom.

"We can never truly die thanks to this curse," he said. "Only by stopping the darkness can we meet a true end. You should know of what we speak of – the Leviathan beast."

The Leviathan? The name was familiar. He had come across the name in the family history books about some great evil creature. The name meant nothing to him. In fact, he often laughed at such foolish stories. That's all it was – just some stupid myth parents had come up with to scare their children, but Lupenix seemed awfully serious about it. "That's just a myth."

The wolf shook his head. "No, it's not."

Before Johnny could react, he felt a knee ram into him beneath the belt. He instinctively lurched forward, feeling a surge of fiery pain from below. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tightened his jaw and waited for the pain to pass, desperately willing for tears not to spill.

"The Leviathan is very real, and you're going to help us stop it. After all your ancestors were the ones who first discovered it."

Johnny forced himself to speak. Through clenched teeth, he said, "So that's why you attacked? To put us out of the tournament?" He wanted nothing more than to use his blade against this freak, but current circumstances wouldn't allow it. He could barely move without feeling searing pain.

"You can't be distracted. You and your fellow nobles need to make things right. You stop the Leviathan, and the curse will be lifted and we can finally be free."

Again, Johnny spoke. "You can't win a beybattle so you resort to cheap and dirty tactics! We defeated you years ago and still you want your revenge? Is this it then? Is this the revenge you've been waiting for? Attacking a van of innocents?"

"You dare call yourselves innocent?" Lupenix bellowed, pulling back his hood. The man hadn't aged a day since the last Johnny had laid eyes on him though he did look a little worn out. His clothes were torn, his hair was a mess, and the wolf had even grown a beard. "You ruined us, and you have the nerve to say you're innocent?!"

Pain now subsiding, Johnny helped himself up to his knees. Slowly, he climbed to his feet. "You were the ones who chose to fight us! You brought your damnation upon yourselves by threatening _us!_ If it was up to me, I would've buried you six feet under, but Robert insisted we allow a fair fight."

He caught Mariam looking at him from the corner of his eyes. When did she come over? She looked… confused? Perhaps the achievements of the Majestics weren't that widespread after all. He refused to meet her eyes. She'd understand it soon enough. The Dark Bladers were a threat to their way of living and they had to be punished.

He heard a rustling of leaves to his right. Glancing over, he noticed three robed figures approaching. The rest of the gang. Sanguinex, Zomb and Cenotaph.

"You call us monsters, but it was you, and your teammates, that bring new meaning to the word 'monster'," Zomb said, throwing a finger at him. "You removed us of our humanity. You pulled us from our families and friends. You threw us into a world of never ending darkness of which there is no escape. For centuries, your families have raided and plundered, murdered and pillaged, and you call us monsters?"

A muscle jerked in his jaw. The true history of the Majestics was kept hidden from the rest of the world. The books only remembered them for their noble deeds and the victories won, but never recorded the darker days of their history. The Dark Bladers had seen a glimpse of it – it was for that reason they had to be defeated so the public would never learn the truth.

"We had no choice," Johnny replied. "Your people were spreading rumours about a creature called the Leviathan and your words caused panic. Our ancestors had no choice but to defend their homelands by eliminating yours."

"We wanted to help!" Lupenix roared. "We were warned a great evil would be unleashed upon this world, but you chose not to listen. For centuries we tried to warn you, but your noble families thought us to be liars. We were tortured and slaughtered like helpless animals for our beliefs. We are all that remains of our people, and we're not truly alive."

Mariam looked thoughtful. "The Leviathan."

"Don't listen to them, Mariam. They're liars. Thieves. What they have become reflects the darkness that has always been in their hearts," Johnny spat. "They're the masters of deception. They'll pretend to be your friend and then they'll stab you in the back and rob you of your belongings. I'd take you all on right here and end your pitiful existence, but I will not endanger the lives of my friends just to see you fall."

Mariam didn't budge. She was looking at the Dark Bladers with a newfound expression. "What do you know of the Leviathan?"

"Everything," Sanguinex said. "The beast has been unleashed from his prison and now we're all in danger. We can feel it – we, as creatures of the dark, can feel his power. Nothing can stand against it. Even now we can feel the beast's power."

Johnny snorted. "This is ridiculous! Nothing more than a tale spun to scare children at night!"

"You've heard of the name, haven't you?" Sanquinex said, directing his question at Mariam. "You're one of the Saint Shield members. I can smell it in your blood. You're searching for answers to your questions." He turned to his teammates and nodded. "Rescue the others. They need to hear what we have to say then perhaps we can finally be laid to rest and be free of this curse."

Lupenix, Zomb and Cenotaph started moving towards the van. Despite his blade still being in the possession of Lupenix, Johnny was determined to not let them walk away without a fight. "Stop! Don't take another step or I will fight you and it will not end well for you! You almost killed my teammates and now you think I'm going to let you come near them?"

"Johnny, let them talk," Mariam said, putting her blade back in her pocket.

"You want to listen to a bunch of sideshow freaks?!"

"They have the right to speak their peace."

Did the Saint Shield clan know about the Leviathan? Was that why she had battled him to get closer?

"Enough with the threats, Johnny. Without your blade, you're powerless," Lupenix said.

Cenotaph sighed. "Humans. Always so… easily unsettled. That's one thing I don't miss."

Sanguinex ignored them both. He took a few step forwards. "You'll never know what awaits you in the beystadium because your team will not make it that far," Sanguinex said. "The Leviathan is no common bitbeast. He was the first to be created, and he was the first to fall. A grand serpent with multiple heads. What the heads represent we're not quite sure because the script is in some ancient language. There's a tome we're looking for which has the translation."

"The Jurgen family," Mariam said softly, as if she was voicing her inner thoughts aloud. "Ozuma said something about it. Robert has the book. His ancestors must've figured it out and wrote it down…"

So Mariam knew more about the Majestics than he thought. Had she been using him this entire time to get close enough to get the book? He wanted to question her, accuse her of things, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Rather, he was going to play the same game. What else did she and her teammates know about the Majestics?

"Are you willing to hear us out?" the vampire said.

Johnny wanted to say no – why listen to what they had to say? They were probably just weaving a poorly structured lie, but he was slightly curious. Lupenix had just pushed the van off his teammates with his superhuman strength. If they had wanted them dead, they would've just finished the job. "Fine… but my teammates come first. You don't speak until the medical team have arrived."

.

A crowd of at least fifty thousand people were sitting the stadium seats. It was amazing just how global the sport had become over the past couple of years. Back when he was a child, there hadn't been such a thing known as a beyblading tournament. Even so, his stomach was full of butterflies. He was no stranger to standing before massive crowds, but expectations were great. How would Stanley's death affect the tournament?

"Here we are again," Rei said, stepping out onto the open field. The other teams were already in their places though there were a few notable absences. No Majestics and the Saint Shields were absent too. Perhaps they were running a little bit late? "Guess not all the teams have arrived yet. You think the planes are running off schedule?"

Kenny shrugged. "It's hard to tell, but they won't be disqualified. All that matters is showing up for the matches."

"Knowing the Majestics, they're probably staying at some posh hotel," Max said. "I can just imagine it – five star rooms with all the luxuries money can buy."

"But that's okay – money can't save them in the dish and that's where it matters most," Tyson added as Kai led them out onto the field. There were banners with their team names and logos on them so the bladers would know where to stand. They were in Block A with the Demolition Boys, All Stars and the Majestics. A handful of other teams were also present in their block.

The Demolition Boys ignored them, but the All Stars waved out. Tyson noticed Emily was absent from the group – had she left or was she busy elsewhere? He noted Judy wasn't present either. Odd. She was always around her team. "That must be the Bai Hu Clan over there…" Rei said, glancing over at the opposite side where the White Tigers were. There was a lone female standing with her arms folded over her chest looking rather bored.

"Ever heard of them before, Rei?" Max said.

Rei shook his head. "No. Tao never mentioned them before. I wonder where the rest of the team is?"

"No Horsemen either…. Or Saint Shields," Hilary said. "Maybe it's still too early in the day for them."

"Or they just don't want to be here for the ceremony," Kai added. "If I had a choice, I'd be at the practice dish and not listening to lame opening speeches." He gazed upwards. There was writing in the sky which read, 'Opening Ceremony – World Beyblade Tournament 2016'. He rolled his eyes. "I hear there's even going to be fireworks tonight down at the river at South Bank. Ridiculous."

"Oh, I think it's pretty cool," Max exclaimed, smiling. "We haven't experienced an opening ceremony before. We were kinda just thrown into it. I like it. It has a real festival feel to it, you know?"

Kai sighed. "This is just a complete waste of time."

Tyson tapped him on the shoulder then pointed to the right at a cameraman. "Smile, Kai! You're on stage!" Tyson flashed the cameraman a big toothy grin. His fellow teammates joined in the smiling and waving except for Kai but that was to be expected. Kai just did his usual expression – straight face. Tyson wondered if Kai was even capable of making another expression. Maybe he was afraid his face would stop functioning.

"Can I get a team photo?" the cameraman said. "It's just for marketing purposes."

"Sure thing," Rei said.

The cameraman pointed to the outside photo booth. There was a single bench. "Okay, Kenny, Hilary and Tyson, you'll be in the front row sitting down. Tyson needs to be in the middle. Kai, Rei and Max, you'll be standing on the bench. Kai in the middle. Yeah, that's it, that's perfect! Give me a champion's smile! That's the spirit! You too, Kai. That's good enough." He took several photos then gave them the thumbs up. "It'll be uploaded onto the site in a few hours. Be sure to check it out! You'll get a free copy when the tournament is over." He then called upon the All Stars for their photo.

"Aw yeah, a team photo," Tyson cheered. "They're really taking care of this year."

"Next thing you know they'll be asking for individual photos…" Kai muttered.

"Of course," Hilary answered. "Social media pages love it. You know we're the most followed sporting team in history on Facebook? Over twenty million likes. Fans just love interacting with our page and liking all the photos."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Are you our page manager?"

She gave him a lopsided grin. "Of course! I even run our YouTube account. Someone has to be there to capture all those epic battles."

"…I don't even want to know what else is on there…" Kai murmured.

"Don't worry, I haven't posted anything embarrassing. We have Tyson for that," she said, winking in his direction.

Tyson glowered. "Ha ha, very funny."

"Let's not get distracted by social media," Kai said, stepping down off the seat. He led the team back to their designated square on the field. "We're here to win and that's all that matters. Revel in the fame and glory after we've won the trophy. I don't care about how many 'likes' we have on social media – that's not going to help us win. As soon as this is done, we're heading to the training dish."

"I think you're about to get your wish," Max said, gesturing towards the stage. There was a man with a moustache standing in the middle behind the lectern. "He must be the new chairperson. Anyone know what his name is?"

"That's Ethan Wiley, one of the longest serving board members of the BBA," Kenny quipped. "He was the treasurer. It's odd that he's stepped into the head position, but I suppose he's been there for the longest now. Anyway, let's be quiet. He's about to speak."

Tyson looked away from his teammates, turning his attention to the front. The televisions in the stadium were on and were currently focused on the new chairperson so everyone in the stadium could see properly. The man cleared his throat then turned the microphone on and began his speech.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the World Beyblade Tournament of 2016. My name is Ethan Wiley and I have stepped in as the acting chairperson. As many of you would know, Stanley Dickinson, the former chairperson of the BBA, was found dead earlier in the year. The tournament was going to be cancelled in light of this event, but we knew deep down, Stanley would want us to continue his dream of making beyblading the number one global sport. Please, bow your heads for a minute of silence as we remember what this remarkable man did for our sport."

Tyson bowed his head and closed his eyes. They had never gotten around to hosting a private memorial service for him, but now they had a chance to pay their respects. Once the minute was up, Tyson lifted his head again and reopened his eyes. In the corner of his left eye, he spotted several of his fellow bladers wiping tears from their eyes. The man had touched the hearts of many.

"The tournament rules have changed slightly – earlier on we mentioned each blader must battle twice but the structure of the event will be tougher on teams with more bladers. Each registered blader must battle at least once – if a registered blader needs to drop out they must advise us today by nightfall," the man continued.

Rei nodded. "I suspect there are going to be a few line up changes tomorrow," he said, looking towards the square with the Majestics banner. "I wonder what happened to them…"

"As for the tournament itself, we want to ensure spectators and bladers get the most out of it. We want this to be the best tournament ever, and that's why we've developed an app for smart phones. There'll be competitions held daily and you'll be able to win prizes. Some prizes include meet and greets with a selected team, backstage pass, a session with the pros after the tournament is over, and platinum seating tickets. Be sure to check out our Facebook page as well for day-to-day announcements, videos and photos."

Again, Tyson heard Kai sigh. "They're really milking it this time. This social media and app stuff has taken over the world. Next thing you know they'll be developing video games for blading." He then made a derisive snort. "How are people ever going to learn anything?"

Max chuckled. "It's funny hearing you say that, Kai. You're not exactly Mr. Social."

"At least _I_ step outside my room to blade."

"Fair point," Max replied, still chuckling.

"We've already had a few questions about the tournament dishes. Some of you expressed your disappointment with the bland dishes of the previous tournaments. We can safely say that the new dishes will exceed your expectations and will prove to be a real challenge for our competitors. Competing bladers will know what dishes will be used in their welcome packages."

"You think they're going back to the dishes we had back in the first tournament?" Max pondered, rubbing his chin. "I remember them being pretty memorable. Even the early rounds had some fascinating dish designs."

That was true. There was the city dish in the American tournament, the blizzard bowl in the Russian Tournament, the island with a beach… The only real stadiums that stood out in last year's tournament were the BEGA ones. "They want us to be strategic this year. We're not going to be able to rely on pure power to win. We'll need to study the dishes and make the most of them."

Kai nodded. "Impressive insight there, Tyson. Glad you're thinking ahead. I've already seen some of the designs and we're definitely in for some tough rounds. We all need to be on the top of our game because as Tyson just mentioned, we'll need more than brawn to win. This tournament isn't going to be a walk in the park."

"And now, I would like to formally announce the teams competing in this year's tournament. In Block A we have the Charming Princes, Spintensity, the Majestics, the Avengers, The Demolition Boys, the All Stars, the Blade Sharks and the Spin Shephards. In Block B, we have the White Tigers, the Savage Slammers, the Tall Boys, the Saint Shields, the Bai Hu Clan, the Horsemen, the Renegades and Down Under. If you have downloaded the app, you'll be able to view the matches and their times. If not, you can access it on the website or you can purchase a timetable for two dollars."

"So, we're in Block A with the Demolition Boys, All Stars and Majestics… We're going to have to meet one of them in the quarters and semis," Rei noted. "That's a tough round. I kinda feel like its set up so we meet one of those new teams from Block B."

"We'll have to see their matches. It will be interesting to see what their teams are all about," Max said. "And to know what we're up against."

"We better start training then," Kai said. "Rei, you're battling against me. Max, you'll battle Tyson. Kenny and Hilary can take notes."

Tyson flashed a smile in Max's direction. "Think you can take me on, Max?"

"Bring it, Tyson."

"At least they're enthusiastic," Hilary noted.

"First match begins tomorrow. Do you think we have enough time to get back into shape?" Kenny said, concerned.

"That's why we're starting now," Kai answered. "No time to waste. Now quit yapping. Let your blades do the talking," he added, as he led his teammates to their own private blading dish.

"Aye aye, Captain Kai!" Tyson and Max chorused.


	16. Trouble on the Horizon

Thanks to The-next-you-know-who and unaisa memon for reviewing the last chapter. Also thanks to MaChunXia for the catch up reviews!

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 **Chapter Fifteen: Trouble on the Horizon**

Despite the battle only being a friendly match, Max knew he had to give his best against Tyson. Many months had passed since he had last fought an opponent of his calibre and whom better to practice against than the world champion himself? Tyson was a little rusty – but then again, so was he. The first few minutes had been awful. Good thing they had twenty four hours to practice before their first official match.

"Tyson, Max, what's going on?" Hilary said from the sidelines.

Draciel and Dragoon were currently chasing each other around the dish. It was almost as if the blades themselves didn't want to fight for whatever reason. The spirits in their blades were unsettled, troubled. A case of pre-tournament nerves or did their bitbeasts sense there was trouble within the stadium?

"Dragoon, attack now!" Tyson ordered, throwing a finger forward. It was rare for a bitbeast to disobey the commands of their blader, but Dragoon ignored Tyson. Instead, Dragoon pulled away from Draciel. Even Draciel seemed hesitant and that was troubling. If this happened in tomorrow's match, they'd be knocked out before the real part of the tournament even began. "Come on, Dragoon!"

"Tyson, do you think the bitbeasts sense there's something wrong and that's why they're not coming out?" Max questioned. Draciel was pulling back too. It was as if he was suddenly afraid of Dragoon. "King's warnings… Maybe he's right. Maybe we are in danger and our bitbeasts are reacting to it."

No longer seeing the point in continuing the battle, Max recalled his blade. Tyson's Dragoon continued circling the dish, but its movement rapidly slowed. It wasn't until Dragoon finally stopped spinning that Tyson picked his blade up. He glanced down at his blade, his brows furrowed. "Dragoon… what's going on?"

"Maybe we can try again later?" Max said. He then looked over towards Kai and Rei whose battle had finished before it had even begun. "Looks like they're having the same problem we're having. Our bitbeasts wouldn't disobey an order unless if they were trying to protect us."

"Or they're unnerved by something." He put his blade back in his pocket and started moving towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Tyson?"

Without glancing back, he answered, "To get some fresh air. I need to think."

Before Max could get out another word, Tyson was gone. Max looked to Hilary who looked equally as confused. "Talk to him. If anyone can get through to Tyson, it would be you, Hilary." He thought he caught a slight tinge of red in her cheeks but it was gone within a blink. She departed, following Tyson's footsteps.

Max walked over to the opposite side of the room. "Max," Rei said, looking up from his blade.

"The bitbeasts are hesitant," Kai said slowly. "Something is amiss."

"Where's Tyson?" said Rei.

"Said he needed to get some fresh air to think," Max answered. "Dragoon didn't respond his commands. Draciel isn't listening to me either. We might not have had a training session in a long while, but our bitbeasts always summon when called. I don't understand why they would suddenly not appear?"

Perhaps they should be thankful they were only playing against an amateur team tomorrow otherwise they would be in for a humiliating defeat. "You think the other bladers are having problems too or just us?" Rei said, looking at his companions, studying their reactions.

"We keep trying," Kai said. "We don't stop pushing. Our bitbeasts performance is a reflection of our mental and physical state. If we're confused and worried, our bitbeasts will also act that way. Clear your mind and focus on the task that needs to be done. We might be blading against an amateur team later today, but one mistake could cost us."

"Kai's right. We have to remain focused," Rei said, clasping his fingers around his Driger blade. "We've bladed in tournaments before. This is no different so we can't use nerves as an excuse." He walked over to his side of the dish and loaded his blade on his launcher again.

"There has to be more to this," Kenny stated. "Dizzi isn't picking up anything odd. Your bitbeasts are the four sacred ones… if they are feeling uneasy then there's a good reason why. I don't think it would be wise to push the bitbeasts into battling if they don't feel it is safe."

Kai shook his head. "No. We have a battle that we can't lose late this afternoon. This is the only chance we have to practice before this match. I'm not going to have our team show up and play like amateurs just because we're 'afraid' of pushing the limit. Whatever words King said to you needs to be pushed behind. We only have the future to focus on." He loaded his blade on his launcher and inserted the ripcord. "Kenny, I want you to record our battles. Every single one so they can be studied. There are no excuses for failure."

Max frowned, a little taken aback by the harshness in Kai's words. He understood where Kai was coming from of course – they could not throw any match away – but he seemed stressed almost. What did Kai know they didn't? Or perhaps he was simply better at keeping his true feelings hidden. He was team captain after all. He had to remain calm and focused.

Kenny knew better than to debate. He pulled up his screen and started tapping away, most likely writing down notes as well. "Okay. I'm ready." Max walked over to stand at Kenny's side and looked over his shoulder down at the screen. Kenny was using some top market video editing and capturing software that allowed close ups of the action.

"Three… Two… One… LET IT RIP!" Kai and Rei released their blades at the same time as soon as the words were finished. The blades flew through the air and collided into each other then crashed down to the dish beneath. Max watched the battle through the screen instead, keeping an eye out for extra detail.

"Dranzer!"

"Driger!"

The bitbeasts were called to summon but they did not emerge despite the bitchips glowing. That's when Max noticed it. Two black floating dots in the centre of the bitchip. Too hard to see with just the naked eye, but on screen it was as clear as day. The dots were visible for a few brief seconds before disappearing. "Did you see that?" Max said, pointing at the screen.

Kenny nodded. "Yeah, I did. That wasn't normal."

"What did you see?" Kai said, recalling his blade for another attempt.

Rei made a frustrated growl as he too recalled Driger. "They don't want to come out."

"We saw something on the screen. Look at this." He motioned for them to come over to watch the replay. "I'll slow it down for you." Kenny lowered the speed so they could watch it frame by frame. He stopped it at the second the two black dots appeared.

"What the hell…" Rei murmured. "I've never seen anything like that before. You think our bitbeasts are locked inside?"

Kai ordered Kenny to replay it again. "No… not locked inside. It's a warning. I remember grandfather telling me about it back when I was just a kid. If a powerful bitbeast had been released, lesser bitbeasts would refuse to come out of their blades. I suppose the two black dots appearing on the bitchips is a bitbeast's way of letting us know 'there's trouble'." He pulled back from the screen, glancing down at his blade. "I never believed the words before… thought it was something Voltaire had made up on the spot… But seeing it like this…"

"When we rescued Hilary in the forest, King said something about this tournament being dangerous. He was collecting parts for someone," Max said. "You don't think he's helping someone to design the strongest blades ever?"

"Not necessarily the strongest, but a blade designed specifically to handle a certain amount of power," Kai answered. "We know that there are many other bitbeasts out there that are just as powerful as our own."

"Like the rock bitbeasts. I remember Cerberus," Max said. That was a bitbeast he would never forget. "You think another rock was found?"

Frowning, Rei spoke up. "Those new teams... the Bai Hu Clan and the Horsemen. Is there anything about them on the internet? Books even? Two new teams that show up out of the blue that don't even have profile pictures? Seems suspicious to me."

"When I type in the horsemen, I get biblical information. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – War, Famine, Death and Pestilence," Kenny explained. "As for the Bai Hu Clan, it's listed as an extinct tribe east of China."

"So what you are saying is that we could potentially be facing off against some religious extremists and an ancient tribe rumoured extinct but actually exists?" Rei said. He then sighed. "I thought last year's tournament was tough, but this looks like something else entirely if these new teams reflect the true meaning of their names."

"They could just be team names," Max said. "Maybe there's nothing more to it."

"I doubt that. Why would you choose a team name that did not somehow reflect your overall image?" Kai debated. "We chose the Avengers to carry out the justice Stanley can't take for himself. But the fact remains – we need to do some training, and it doesn't look like we're going to get anything done in this building. I say we take a trip to the surrounding areas and make use of what we can. I hear there's a public blading park down at South Bank. Maybe if we leave the building our bitbeasts will come right again."

"What about Tyson?" Rei said.

"He's with Hilary," answered Max. "I'll text him later, but I think there's more on his mind than he's letting on. Hilary will make him right again."

Pulling down the screen of his laptop, Kenny tucked the machine beneath his arm then rose to his feet. "Then let's head down to South Bank. I want to record your current stats to the last time we fought as a team."

"The best comment I've heard all day," Kai remarked, smirking slightly.

.

Johnny picked up a magazine and threw it across the room. The magazine hit the wall and fell to the floor. A few loose pages fell out. "So this is it then? It's all over for us?" Hours had passed since the ordeal with the Dark Bladers. The fiends had lived up to their promise and 'freed' his friends from the van, but the damage had already been done. Now they were inside a hospital waiting for news on Oliver's state.

Fortunately, Robert and Enrique had only sustained minor injuries. A few scratch marks and some bumps and bruises, but nothing that warranted a few nights at the hospital. Robert hadn't spoken a single word since being picked up by the medical team. Perhaps he was still blaming himself for the event. He was sitting on the waiting chairs just outside Oliver's room deep in thought.

"It's not over, Johnny," Enrique said, running a hand over the bandage wrapped around his head. "We made it out. All of us."

"I'm not talking about us; I'm talking about the Leviathan! If what the Dark Bladers say is true then we're in a deep pile of shit!" Johnny complained. He didn't care he was shouting at the top of his lungs. He had every damn right to be pissed off and fuming. "They said the Leviathan was the first of the bitbeasts to be created and that he was the first to fall. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

Mariam was also present. The girl had insisted she would stay with them too though he suspected it was simply to obtain more information. Why would she care about the state of his team? She flipped her ponytail behind her shoulder and spoke. "Pretty obvious what it means. The Leviathan was the first bitbeast to be born. He's the embodiment of all that is evil in the world."

"And why should we believe a single word that the Dark Bladers have to say?" Enrique debated, stifling a groan. "They're horror show rejects that we defeated many years ago. Most likely they're just playing mind games with us. We should be more concerned about Oliver right now. He needs our support. Now is the time we should band together as a team."

Curling his fingers into fists, Johnny threw the blond a dirty glare. "Maybe because the Dark Bladers have a point. Why else would they suddenly return after years of silence to tell us this now?"

"I'm surprised, Johnny. I never thought you were that gullible."

"Shut up, Enrique. You didn't hear the entire story. You were pinned beneath the van so you have no right to judge me for what you did not hear," Johnny retorted, feeling his temper rise. "I hate the Dark Bladers as much as the rest of you, but there appearance isn't random."

"Then why warn us? We cursed them. We _defeated_ them. Why would they want to save us, especially after almost killing us three?" Enrique argued back. "It doesn't make any sense unless they're playing mind games." Johnny grabbed his can of coke and lobbed it at Enrique's head. The blond dodged it and watched as the can rolled across the floor and down the hallway until it hit a wall. "What the heck, Johnny? Don't tell me that big bad wolf got under your skin?"

Johnny wanted nothing more than to tackle the blond to the ground and teach him a lesson or two, but they were in a private hospital. Somehow, starting a fight in the corridor with a person carrying a mild injury didn't seem like such a smart idea. Drawing in a deep breath, he willed himself to calm down… at least for the time being.

"You said you cursed them…" Mariam said, making her presence known. The two boys looked at her. "They fought back in retaliation to avenge themselves. I don't believe their intention was to kill, but to injure. To make you feel the same pain they had felt when you deprived them of their humanity. You humiliated them."

"That doesn't make what they did right," Enrique replied. "We could've died! "

She shook her head. "I agree, but they saw no other choice. They can't die, Enrique. They're prisoners trapped in a life they can't ever escape from because of what you and your teammates did. Yes, you're alive, but you'll feel today's events forever. That's their intention. To make you suffer mental torture."

"When this Leviathan business is over, we will deal with the Dark Bladers and do what we should've done all those years ago – bury them six feet under," Johnny spat. "I don't know if this Leviathan crap is real or not, but I'm not going to place my bitbeast's life at risk if such a thing does exist."

"The Leviathan is real," Robert said, finally speaking for the first time in hours. Three pairs of eyes locked on him. The man rose to his feet, his expression crestfallen. The guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. Johnny could hardly imagine what thoughts were going through his head. "There's a book in my library. A dusty old tome written by early ancestors."

Johnny couldn't believe what he was hearing and neither could Enrique it seemed. The blond raised both his eyebrows then said, "You knew?!"

Robert sighed. "Yes. It was a page in my family's history that I did not wish to revisit."

"How could you hide something like this?" Johnny snapped.

"You have to understand Jonathon that I did not wish to relive the past errors of my ancestor's ways. There are many books written about the triumphant battles they fought in, but we all know war isn't a glorious thing. There's a darker side to our history that I did not wish to revisit and be reminded of." He rubbed his temple and sighed. "For all their faults, the Dark Bladers have every right to despise us and wish us harm."

"What happened in the past is history, Robert," Enrique said. "We need to think about now. Why would the Dark Bladers hurt us then help us? That doesn't make any sense."

"Because Enrique, if we died, we wouldn't be suffering," Robert answered calmly. "Now, thanks to the Dark Bladers, the events of the past twenty four hours will never be erased. We'll carry this incident to our resting places and that's exactly what they want."

Placing his hands behind his head, Enrique paced back and forth. "What now then? We have a tournament to participate in that we're a day late for. This… Leviathan creature is out there somewhere and you have the tome in your possession that you're afraid to read." He then flopped down onto a chair. "This is just great."

"Don't be so overly dramatic, Enrique," Johnny said. "We can still compete in the tournament without Oliver. He can work on this Leviathan business while we focus our efforts on smashing our opponents."

"Trust you not to care about Oliver."

"I never said that."

"You're always attacking him. What? Are you scared that Oliver might just show you up one day?"

Uttering a low growl, Johnny took a step towards Enrique. "Says the one who lost control of his bitbeast and failed to play a match against the Bladebreakers."

"Enough," Robert stated, coming in to stand between the two bladers. "I will not tolerate this nonsense. We need to stick together as a team now more than ever. This Leviathan threatens us all – if we stand apart, our chances of failure are far more likely. So I request that both of you start acting like the champions you claim to be."

Enrique pouted, and turned his attention away from Johnny. If Robert hadn't been in the room, Johnny would not have hesitated to slug him across the face. At least they were in the hospital. Enrique would be taken care of straight away should an 'accident' occur. He was about to defend himself to his captain when one of the doctors exited Oliver's room.

"How is Oliver?" Robert said.

The woman's expression was neutral. That can't have meant good news. "Oliver sustained major injuries to his left leg. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to save the injured limb. To increase his recovery time, we've made the decision to amputate his left limb. I'm sorry, but it's the best course of action to take."

Robert nodded. "I understand."

"He won't be able to have any visitors for the next week whilst we monitor his recovery. You are welcome to stay overnight if you wish." She pointed to the hallway on the left. "There are spare beds down there. Just ask the receptionist and she'll sort it out for you." The woman said her farewells and hurried down the hallway.

Amputation. Permanently losing his left leg. Crippled and all thanks to some wretched fiends who had a vendetta against them. A vendetta that never would've happened if the Majestics hadn't challenged them to a battle and claimed victory. Enrique and Robert might've recovered, but Oliver couldn't grow back a leg. It was no big secret Johnny didn't rate Oliver highly. In fact, he liked the guy less than Enrique, but Oliver didn't deserve this.

"I will the book with Oliver to read when he recovers," Robert said. "He'll want something to distract his mind from depression."

"That's it? You're just going to 'move on'?" Enrique retorted. "Didn't you hear? Oliver's going to lose a leg. His entire life will change and all you can think about is deciphering this book of yours? You say we're supposed to act like a team so why don't you take your own advice and practice what you preach?"

This was quickly unravelling into some big mess. "I don't often agree with Enrique, but he has a point, Robert," Johnny said before Robert had a chance to speak. He didn't want to pull out of the tournament, but for once, he put someone else's needs before his own. He wasn't cruel. Short-tempered and rude, yes, but not mean.

"We compete in the tournament," Robert said, his eyebrows narrowed. Curling a hand into a fist, he raised it into the air and spoke further. "We are the Majestics, and we never turn our backs to a battle even if it looks grim. We fight for our fallen and injured comrades. We are going to participate in this tournament not to prove to the world we're still champions, but for Oliver. That's what Oliver would want us to do. That's what Stanley Dickinson would want."

Robert's speech was greeted with silence. How could you respond to that? The entire blading world had suffered as a result of Stanley's loss. Pulling out of the tournament for Oliver's sake would just be selfish. Not only that, but they would look like cowards. Robert certainly had a knack for choosing the right words to say. No wonder he was captain of the team.

"It's going to be a tough tournament. We enter elimination mode straight away after passing the qualifying rounds," Johnny said. "We won't get a chance to rest if it's just us three blading." For spectators, many probably assumed blading wasn't a physically exhausting process, but it was. Your bitbeast drew from your strength which was why it was so important to stay in peak physical condition. Weight-lifting, cardio work and other similar activities were all part of a professional blader's workout routine.

"What about the Leviathan then? What do we do about that?" Enrique said.

Good question. If the threat was so bad then why even risk entering in a tournament where their skills could be used elsewhere? "It's going to take a few days to read the pages of text that is in that book," Robert explained. "I would take it with us to the tournament, but as I said earlier, the book will keep Oliver's mind distracted. Consider it part of the mental recovery process." He then looked at Mariam. "You must be Mariam from the Saint Shields. I saw your profile on the registration page. Thank you for assistance, but your aid is no longer required. You may leave and we will meet again in the tournament."

Mariam raised her eyebrows. Even Johnny was surprised. Only Robert could make a 'thank you and goodbye' moment sound so polite and cold at the same time. What a unique talent. "Fine." Without speaking further, Mariam turned around and sauntered down the hallway. Johnny watched her retreat. He had gotten quite used to her company after the previous days and now she was gone. Or had she truly left? She wanted that tome.

"I don't trust her," Johnny said.

Robert arched a brow. "Why is that?"

"She wants that tome, Robert. That's why she's been following me everywhere. You can't just leave it here." She was going to steal it when she had the chance. Why else would she not bother trying to put up a fight? She stayed around just long enough to know Robert was leaving the book behind. "She's a thief." Did the girl think he was gullible enough to fall for her mind games?

"Then we allow her to steal it."

"What? Did the crash mess up your head?" Surely, the noble 'I-can-do-no-wrong' Robert Jurgen, could not possibly be considering allowing the Saint Shields to steal the book that contains such information?

Robert frowned. "Calm yourself, Jonathon. I would never willingly allow someone to steal something of mine unless I was certain they would gain nothing from it." He paused then added, "The book is entirely in German."

Right. Oliver was fluent in French, Italian and German. Having a restaurant business that was located in each of their home nations made learning the other languages quite beneficial. Johnny actually cracked a grin. Crafty Robert. Always one step ahead of everyone else. "You almost had me there for a moment."

"That's enough time for talk. We have a private plane jet to board. We will send Oliver a 'get well soon' card upon our arrival." Typical Robert. Suffered a minor injury and already was acting like his usual self. Johnny wondered how he was able to move on so quickly, but perhaps it was all just an act? As team captain and a person hailing from a respectable famous family, he was expected to behave in a certain manner. Still, how much longer could he keep this act up?

.

The event at the mines had gone well. Better than expected actually. Sure, a few people had sustained a few minor injuries from the blast, but the beast's powers had been captured and inserted into four specially designed blades. It was thanks to the infamous pair, King and Queen, that four durable blades had been built. Combined with the technological abilities provided by the PBB facility, Douglas now had blades that were indestructible.

He was now in the debriefing room with Hiro standing before the team known as the Horsemen. Alan, Carlos, Alexander and Bruno. Four amateur bladers picked up off the streets. Now they were going to be the most powerful bladers to ever play the game. But first, he had to make sure they could handle it.

The boys were positioned on the eastern wall, each blader standing before their own practice dish. Standing opposite to his boys were a few amateur PBB bladers. Hiro had spent the first half of the week taking the boys through the basics, but this was the first time they would actually use the Leviathan bitbeasts in a battle situation.

Douglas and Hiro were both standing on the higher platform. It gave them a better angle to study the battle. There were multiple computer screens before them, each one focused on a different blader's blade. "All right, step up to the platforms and prepare to battle," Hiro called out through the intercom. The bladers did as asked. Turning to Douglas, Hiro said, "Here comes the big moment. Let's see what bitbeasts emerge from the Leviathan blades."

"This is the moment I've been waiting for." As excited as he was to witness the battle, he couldn't help but grip onto the edges of the chair he was standing behind. He had been there at the opening of the gates, and experienced just a small fraction of the power this beast had. "Let the battle commence."

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!"

The bladers released their blades. As the blades landed in the dish, he felt the ground reverberate beneath his feet. Thankfully, the room was designed to withstand earthquakes, but it didn't stop the room from shaking. "Their power levels are increasing rapidly," Douglas noted, glancing down at the screens. Zero… One thousand… Three thousand… Seven thousand… Incredible.

Alan was the first blader to watch. His blade sped towards his rival's one and slammed into it with such force, it knocked the blade right out of the dish. It sailed through the air and into a wall, bounced off and landed on the ground. Hiro ordered him to relaunch. The blader, known as Jeremy, picked it up and tried again.

"Summon your bitbeast," Hiro ordered.

Alan raised his hands in the air and called out his beast. The beast didn't have a name yet but as soon as it appeared, it would be given one. A light appeared on the bitchip. Alan's heart rate and blood pressure increased. It was amazing how a summoning could take such a physical toll on a blader.

Moments later the first of the Leviathan beasts appeared. The creature had the shape of a humanoid in that it had two legs and two arms and a single head, but its flesh was made of sickly green scales. The beast also had a snake-like muscular tail, and had claws for its hands and feet. In addition, the creature had brown leathery wings that looked much like a bats. But what captured his attention was the creature's head. It had the head of an octopus with multiple tentacles sticking out. A truly hideous creature.

"Looks like a combination of a dragon, man and octopus," Douglas said. "Have you a name for it?"

"Cthulhu," Hiro said.

"Looks nasty. Excellent. And its attacks?"

"When Alan first took it for a spin, we discovered the creature can create water out of nothing. From that, it can make whirlpools and tidal waves with astonishing force. Not only that, but the creature can fly and pick up its opponents with its bone-crushing claws. It can also use its tail as a weapon. Of course, we only tested it against an inanimate object," Hiro explained, his arms folded across his chest.

Douglas glanced down at the screen. The Cthulhu charged at its opponent, and swiped at the blade with its claw. It picked it up and threw it out of the dish. "Tell him to use a special attack."

"Alan, activate special attack number one."

Alan lowered his left hand, but kept his right hand raised into a fist. The beast brought its two hands together and folded its wings. Water spewed out of its tentacles, and within seconds, the dish was filled with water. There was an invisible barrier around the blade itself that kept the water away and allowed it to continue spinning. Alan activated his special attack. The water started to spin in a clockwise direction. Slowly, it began to rise until a funnel formed. But it didn't end there. Lightning flashed, and some bolts struck the walls.

Douglas clapped his hands. "Excellent!" An incredible display of power, and to think this was just a fraction of it. When the bladers met some real professionals in the dish, then their true power would be revealed. The Bladebreakers had no chance. They'd easily be crushed and he'd prove to everyone that science triumphed over spirit. "Tell him he can stop now. I want the doctors to give him a final look over."

Hiro gave the order and Alan deactivated the attack then recalled his blade. The blader exited the room. Once he had left, Douglas focused his attention on the second screen where Bruno was battling against Kyle. Bruno's blade appeared to rely more on agility than brute force as could be seen with his movements. The blade dashed across the dish, landed one or two quick hits then pulled back to attack from a different angle.

"Summon your bitbeast," Douglas said, speaking into the intercom.

Bruno nodded to show that he had heard the command. He threw a fist into the air. The blade started to emit a faint white glow. Seconds later, a feline-type creature emerged. The two front limbs belonged to that of a lion, but the hind legs had the hooves of a goat. The head of a horned goat sat atop its back, positioned just an inch behind the great mane of the lion head. As for its tail, it was neither goat nor lion, but that of a snake's head. The creature even had red wings that resembled a dragon's.

"A chimera," Hiro concluded. "And one with wings."

So far they had a creature that seemed designed to endure strong attacks and one bitbeast that favoured agility and evasiveness. The perfect opponents for Draciel and Driger. "This chimera – it's attacks are?"

"We observed that each of the heads has a move of its own. The snake can defend the hind quarters and inflict a damaging bite. The goat's hooves pack a punch and help the creature gain height when it jumps and the lion has jaws that can rip flesh apart with ease. The goat head also breathes fire."

"Can it fly?"

Hiro shook his head. "No, it's too heavy to actually stay afloat though it can glide for a short time."

"I'm impressed. Tell Bruno to head to the doctors."

"You don't want to see its special moves?"

Douglas shook his head. "I would love to, but we are running out of time. I trust we'll be able to see these moves in action during the tournament anyway."

"I would advise them not to show their full power until the final round against Tyson's team," Hiro said. "We don't actually know how mentally and physically taxing the Leviathan's powers are on the bladers yet. It would be wise to conserve as much of their energy as possible."

Smart advice. He knew hiring Hiro had been an excellent idea. "And this is why you are on the team, Hiro. You have brains which is something a lot of other coaches lack. I knew choosing you had been the right action to take." He then leaned in towards the intercom and gave Bruno the order to pull back and depart. The man obeyed.

"We have Carlos next. He used to be part of Kai's gang so naturally he'll face off against his former captain. I think you'll be quite pleased with this one. Carlos, show us what you can do," said Hiro, turning his attention to the third screen. Carlos's blade was already in the dish and giving his opponent a vicious beating. His blade must've been burning hot because there were black scorch marks in the ground. "Reveal your bitbeast."

It only took less than a second for the bitchip to glow. A monstrous reptilian creature soon appeared as the light dimmed down. It was obvious straight away by the creature's shape the third bitbeast was a dragon except it had no scales. With the exception of its ragged wings, the dragon was made entirely of bone. It gave the overgrown reptile a rather fragile look, but the glowing blood red sockets told him this dragon was a force to be reckoned with.

"An undead dragon?"

Hiro nodded. "It might look frail and brittle, but I assure you, this creature is far more powerful than any bitbeast I've encountered. Unlike your typical dragon, this one doesn't breathe fire. He emits an acidic breath that burns flesh. He can also create a toxic gas of cloud that makes those within range quite sick. Carlos wants to call him Vix'thra which was the name that belonged to a dracolich in a game he played as a kid."

"He will be a suitable battle for Kai."

Hiro smiled. "Yes, Kai is a champion blader, but he'll find Vix'thra far tougher than Zeus and Dragoon." Carlos made short work of his opponent by ordering his bitbeast to spew acid over it. The blade came to a halt and melted. "Now, I suppose you'd like to witness the power of our strongest blader, Alexander. He was the one who trained under Boris."

"Ah, one of the Abbey boys then."

"Yes. Thank you Carlos for your display. Please pay the doctors a visit before you depart the building for a final check-up." Carlos nodded, retrieved his blade then left. Douglas turned to the final screen with eager anticipation. The final blader and a former Abbey boy too. "Alexander, you may begin."

Alexander didn't waste any time summoning his bitbeast. As the light appeared, Douglas was suddenly filled with a great sense of dread. His skin turned cold, as if he was suffering a bout of the flu and getting chills. A wave of despair poured through him. Sadness filled his heart, but he wasn't sure why he was even sad.

The despair remained even as the bitchip light faded. The light in the room also switched off as did all the screens in the room. He was left standing in complete darkness. A chill raced down his spine. "What is happening?" Douglas said.

"I don't… actually know," Hiro confessed. "It must be his bitbeast's power. It didn't happen before, but Alexander hadn't summoned his bitbeast. We must keep our eyes peeled and not let these thoughts of despair consume our thoughts. The moment will pass. Keep yourself together, Douglas."

Douglas nodded, and did his best to pull his act together though it was quite hard to know just exactly what was going on in the total darkness. He couldn't even see his own hands, let alone his nose. He looked straight ahead, waiting for a glimpse of the final bitbeast. Minutes passed by. He could hear the sounds of battle, but still no bitbeast. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled to calm his nerves. Much to his surprise, a mist breath exited his mouth.

Through the mist of his own breath, he caught a glimpse of the bitbeast, and what a beast it was. There was a knight in heavily plated armour sitting atop a black armoured steed with glowing red eyes. The knight wore a red cape, and he wielded a sickle in his right hand. In his left hand he carried his own head. Disturbing indeed.

"The Dullahan," Hiro said slowly.

"The what?"

"Dullahan. The headless horseman of Irish folklore who rides upon a black steed. Folklore states the rider would throw a basin of blood over someone's head as a sign that person was going to die next. It's said only gold drives them away."

The team name 'The Horsemen' was starting to sound like the perfect fit. Cthulhu to represent War. Chimera to represent Famine. Vix'thra for Pestilence, and the Dullahan for Death itself. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalpyse. The four heads that made up the Leviathan serpent beast. This was the end of the Bladebreakers and Tyson's reign. A smile crossed his face.

"The end is nigh," he said.

"Indeed it is," Hiro finished. "The apocalypse of the Bladebreakers."


	17. On the Road to Victory

Thanks to Cera and unaisa memon for reviewing the previous chapter.

 **.**

 **Chapter Sixteen: On the Road to Victory**

 _Muscles burning, lungs aching, head spinning. But still he had to run. He was lost in a dark forest, running in an aimless direction, desperately trying to escape from whatever it was that was hounding him. But it didn't matter how fast he ran – the creature was everywhere, observing his every movement._

 _He continued running straight, but he didn't manage to cover a lot of ground before falling flat on his face. With a groan, he looked down and noticed his foot had caught the end of a root. Grunting, he forced himself up and spared a glance behind his shoulder. Dark. So dark. It was like being in his room with all but one light switched off._

 _[You think you can run? There is no escape.]_

 _Brooklyn tried to block out the voice inside his mind. He had to get out of this nightmare and find his way back to the light. He didn't want to be trapped in this mental prison of which he believed he had escaped months ago, but he could see no exits. Was this his fate? To be trapped inside this place forever running from a thing he could not see?_

 _[You're afraid of the dark… Afraid of the darkness that surrounds you.]_

 _He came to an abrupt stop. It wasn't my choice, but his legs refused to move. Then there was implosion of pain near his lungs. With a gasp, he dropped to his knees. He tried to breathe in, but it was as if his lungs stopped functioning. Hunched over on the ground, he gasped for air, desperately clawing at the dirt as if that would somehow help._

" _What… what do you want from me?" he managed to speak in between ragged breaths._

 _[You're loyalty. You're one of the rare few who I can communicate with. I don't suppose you're the holder of Zeus? Don't look so surprised – I know where my children are at all times. How else do you think you were able to create another dimension? I want to thank you, Brooklyn. You along with Black Dranzer and Cerberus helped to weaken the seal allowing me to break free of my chains. What? Still surprised?]_

 _Seal? Brooklyn didn't know what this creature was talking about. What seal? Gate? Black Dranzer? Chains? It all sounded like some horror fantasy movie. His lungs started to function again to his great relief. "I don't understand."_

 _[Black Dranzer, Cerberus and Zeus are the three seals to my cage. The Fallen Phoenix, The Hound of Chaos, and The King of Darkness. By activating your powers, you released energy back into the world… allowing me to break free. Of course, if it wasn't for the curious nature of you humans, I'd still be locked behind the Gate, but they freed me. I want to thank you.]_

" _I don't want anything from you."_

 _[Ultimate power? To be the strongest blader on the planet?]_

" _No. Not anymore."_

 _[Don't you want revenge on those who bested who? What about Kai?]_

" _That's in the past. Tyson helped me understand things better."_

 _[You can't ever escape your past, Brooklyn. The darkness you think you left behind is a part of who you are. You can't ever escape from that no matter how hard you try.]_

 _Brooklyn forced himself up. "I am no one's slave!" he spat._

 _[Are you defying me, the one who gave you a taste of true power?]_

 _Zeus, a part of the Leviathan? No. It couldn't be... But how else could he explain his bitbeast's immense power? "I don't want it. I don't need it. That part of my life is over." He didn't have anything to prove to anyone anymore. Tyson beat him fair and square and Kai had triumphed over him. All that mattered now was keeping his teammates together and trying to get into a comfortable financial position._

 _There was a sigh. [You disappoint me, Brooklyn. Nevermind. I will always be here should you have need of me.]_

The vision ended, and Brooklyn found himself still in his room. Thankfully, his teammates weren't around. Most likely they were downstairs talking about him. Sitting upright, he turned to his blade, and curled his fingers around it. Strangely, the blade was warm to his touch. The Leviathan bitbeast had spoken to him. The connection with Zeus allowed it to happen. The beast had said he had been freed which explained why the visions were powerful enough to bring him to his knees in pain.

He picked the blade up and looked down at the bitchip. With the Leviathan freed Zeus was too dangerous to use. Powerful, yes, but unpredictable. If he used him in battle again what would happen? Would he faint again? Or worse, would he actually die? It was too much of a risk to take. "I'm sorry Zeus… But I can't take the risk." He removed the bitchip from the blade severing the connection temporarily. He then stashed the bitchip in a small box and hid it. If he kept his distance from the bitchip then the Leviathan wouldn't be able to reach out to him. At least he hoped not.

He picked up his blade and put it in his pocket then made his way downstairs, closing his bedroom door behind him. He headed downstairs and spotted his teammates talking to… Crusher? Monica was also there. Huh. A surprise visit. "Crusher, Monica, pleasure to see you both in good health," Brooklyn greeted, sauntering over.

"Are you feeling all right, Brooklyn?" Ming Ming said.

He nodded. "I'm fine. Just a migraine."

Ming Ming didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push the topic. Crusher smiled. "It's been awhile since I last saw you so I figured I should fly over and catch up on the latest news. Monica wanted to come as well." He gave his sister a smile and held her close. She smiled back. "Where is Mystel?"

"He's flown over to Australia to chase after a girl," Brooklyn said. "Mariah, you know, that girl from the White Tiger team."

"That's strange. I thought he had left BEGA to join with the Bai Hu Clan," said Crusher.

So, the Bai Hu Clan had caught up with Mystel after all. Most likely they had forced him into joining with them for the tournament. He should've done more to stop Mystel from travelling by himself, but Bryan had stopped him.

Before he could speak, Garland spoke. "The Bai Hu Clan?"

"They're one of the new teams… Don't you watch the news?" Crusher said.

"We're not competing so we don't pay attention," Brooklyn answered. "But how do you know he joined?"

"The opening ceremony was yesterday. It was broadcasted on global television." Crusher was still frowning. He was still having trouble coming to terms with the fact they didn't keep up to date with the sporting world. "He's an official member along with a woman called Dohna, and two men called Kevlin and Master Li."

Rubbing his temples, Garland said, "So he left us. His excuse to chase after Mariah was just a reason to abandon us and like fools we let him go. I should've known he was up to something when he kept looking at his phone."

"Mystel isn't a traitor," Ming Ming said. "Why would he leave us like this?"

"Why else? To further his ambition," Garland answered. "His reasons for joining were unknown to all of us. His background is a complete mystery. He probably joined with us because he thought he could make a name for himself."

"You've got it all wrong," Brooklyn said intervening before the conversation took a turn for the worse. "Mystel didn't betray us by choice. I was there when he encountered the Bai Hu Clan a few weeks back. Words were exchanged and a battle took place. Fortunately, I was there to help even the playing field. Their bitbeasts are old. Prehistoric. Mystel says they're an old clan who invented the 360 attack that he is known for."

Garland withdrew his hand. Poor guy looked stressed. So much had happened in the past seventy-two hours – Mystel departing, the disastrous dinner, and of course, his very own fainting spell. "Why did he not mention it?"

"I suppose he thought they would never come back for him, but here they are." He ran a hand through his hair. "I suspect their intentions for him aren't good. Mystel left them when he shouldn't have and you know what these tribal people are like. They don't take 'moving on' well at all."

"We have to help him," Ming Ming said.

"That's nice of you Ming Ming, but how are we going to afford for all of us to fly over?" Brooklyn countered.

Garland looked at Brooklyn. "We can't forget to mention you're not in peak shape yourself."

Of course Garland would have to bring that up. "Look, I'm fine now, all right? What happened is in the past."

"What happened to Brooklyn?" Crusher said.

 _Great,_ Brooklyn thought sourly. _Let's have a round of twenty one questions._ "Like I said before – just a migraine."

"You collapsed on the ground screaming in pain and Zeus was out of control," Garland stated bluntly. "That doesn't sound like a 'migraine' to me. I know you want to travel and help out, but health is far more important. You can't expect to beybattle when you're fainting."

"You need me on your side," Brooklyn retorted. "I'm the strongest blader on this team. You're going to need my power when we take on the Bai Hu Clan ourselves. I've seen a glimpse of their bitbeasts – prehistoric. Older than yours. Much older."

"Seems like I've missed out on a great deal then," Crusher said.

"I'm going to be fine, all right? I know what the problem is, and I've dealt with it. It won't happen again," Brooklyn explained, hoping the others would understand. To further convince them, he dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out his blade. "I removed the bitchip. There's something wrong with Zeus. If he's not in his blade then the visions can't affect me because that's how the power is released – through the blade."

Eyebrows raised, Ming Ming looked at him. "You're going to fight without Zeus?"

"How does that help us?" Garland said. "I'm not denying you're the strongest blader on this team, but without Zeus… without a bitbeast… how do you expect to survive?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. Besides, I didn't always have Zeus at my side and I still classes above the rest of my peers. Benefits of being naturally gifted," he said with a shrug. "What matters is that we need to get to Mystel before the Bai Hu Clan get enact their little revenge scheme."

"We don't have the funds."

Fair point. That was a problem. "Maybe we can compete in some local event and win some prize money," Brooklyn said. Garland shook his head. "We're banned, aren't we? That's just great."

"We have funds leftover from the charity," Crusher said. "We could use those funds to send you lot over."

Monica nodded. "Yeah. Bega helped me – now it's time to return to the favour."

"We can't do that. That's your money for your recovery," said Ming Ming. Trust Ming Ming to turn down the offer.

"If your friend is in trouble then you should be there to help," Monica said. "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Bega. I can't help you directly, but I can send you over." She looked up at her older brother for some support. He nodded.

"Monica is right. I would come with you, but I can't leave my sister's side. You three need to go over and do what is right," Crusher said. "We'll be waiting for you back at home."

Garland looked hesitant, but he nodded. "Thanks Crusher. We really appreciate it, and we'll find a way to make it up to you. Stay safe."

"Don't thank me. We're a team. We look after each other. Now why don't you lot pack your bags and I'll transfer the funds and get the flights sorted."

Brooklyn didn't need to be told twice.

.

The time had come to take to the stadium and blade for the right to qualify. Their opponent would be Spintensity which was made up of Luiz, Frankie and Mario. They didn't have bitbeasts and therefore should be pretty easy to knock out of the qualifying rounds. The All Stars were due to fight against the Charming Princes straight after whilst the Majestics and the Demolition Boys would fight tomorrow.

Kai led his teammates out onto the stadium floor. The crowd was packed – he couldn't spot a single spare seat left. Suncorp was said to have a capacity of just over fifty thousand. Incredible that there were over fifty thousand fans keen to see them blade against a bunch of amateurs. "Sold out crowd," Max commented, looking around the venue. "Amazing."

"Just ignore them." When the battles started, the cries of the excited fans became non-existent.

"I'm worried about Kenny," said Max, casting a glance in Kenny's direction. The youngest member of the team had paled significantly. "He's pretty nervous about battling today. He feels we're a little undercooked so to speak."

Under-prepared. Kenny had a point – they hadn't managed to get a lot of practice in. The plan to train at the public park in South Bank hadn't exactly worked out thanks to fans trying to get autographs every couple of seconds. "We're just going to have to use this as a training match. We've beaten them before… Besides, they don't have bitbeasts. How challenging can they be?"

"They might be amateurs, but I'd keep an eye open for surprises. So… are you going first?"

Kai shook his head. "You're up first, Max. More than half of the people in this crowd didn't think we'd ever blade again – let's set the standard and show them we're taking this competition seriously. Kenny will go next – it doesn't matter if he loses. I'll be sure to win my round and we'll go through even with one loss."

Max nodded. "All right. Plan sounds solid. I hope Kenny doesn't faint halfway through."

"We'll keep him in line. Now go. Win this match."

Max started making his way over towards the stadium dish as DJ Jazzman called out his name. The announcer was just as energetic as ever constantly screaming into the microphone and encouraging the audience to cheer as loudly as they could. Kai looked forward to some peace and quiet. He was surely going to need it.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the first official match of the qualifying rounds!" DJ Jazzman shouted into the microphone. His words were greeted with thunderous applause. "First up we have the Avengers blading against Spintensity! Straight after this, the All Stars will take on the Charming Princes! Tomorrow, the Demolition Boys and Majestics will do battle against the Spin Shephards and the Blade Sharks! Let me hear you give these bladers a round of applause as they begin their journeys to become the champions of 2016!"

Again, the crowd cheered. Kai had to give the man some credit – he sure knew how to work a crowd. He turned back to the bench. Tyson and Rei had decided to skip this match to focus their efforts on training. Of course, they had been reluctant, but both had given in eventually, knowing every opportunity to train should not be skipped.

"First up we have Max from the Avengers blading against Luiz of Spintensity! Long term fans may remember these two teams did battle during the early stages of the American Tournament! Who will emerge victorious today? Don't blink or you'll miss out! Bladers, please approach your positions! You'll be battling in the Standard Bowl today."

Kai and Kenny retreated to the bench as Max walked up the stairs. Kenny sat down and pulled out his laptop and began to load the stadium's streaming service. All battles were being broadcasted on global television offering the best camera angles of all the action. Battles were also available to be downloaded by competing teams for study purposes. Kenny also brought up Max's stats screen.

"Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!" Jazzman cried out jumping into the air to perform a throwdown. The crowd surged to their feet. Kai sat down next to Kenny and watched the action taking place. He pulled out some earplugs and stuck them in to drown out DJ's annoying commentary. Max's launch had been a little wobbly, but Draciel landed without fault. Thankfully it was just a plain bowl or there might've been a few problems.

"His launch wasn't straight," Kenny noted, moving his cursor over to Max's stats. "But his energy levels are sound. Dizzi can't pick up anything that would raise a red flag." To further analyse a blader's performance, wristbands were worn that calculated blood pressure levels. The information was then fed back to the blader performance database which Kenny then used to create his own stats comparison chart.

"Max will be fine. Luiz doesn't have the advantage of having a bowl designed to his talents." He turned his attention back to the battle. Luiz's blade was attacking Draciel from all directions, giving the blade an absolute hammering. Fortunately, Draciel was quite the formidable bitbeast and none of Luiz's attacks were actually doing much damage. "I just can't grasp why bladers without bitbeasts even bother competing in these big tournaments. They know they don't stand a chance so why bother?"

"Exposure, Kai. The experience too. How many bladers ever make it to this level?"

He rolled his eyes. Of course. Still, it would save a lot of time if non-bitbeast owners weren't allowed to compete in such an important event. "Luiz is in way over his head. His blade is already starting to weaken," Kai noted. Secretly, he was glad. Dranzer was itching for a fight. "Finish him off, Max! Don't hold back!"

The battle went on for a few more moments when Max finally went in for the final blow. Draciel rammed into Luiz's blade and pushed it back until it was knocked out of the dish. An effortless victory. Kai removed his earplugs for a brief moment.

"…and victory goes to Max of the Avengers!"

Max jogged over, a wide smile across his face. "Draciel and I were on fire!" He then glanced down at Kenny. "So, how did it go, Kenny? How am I looking?"

"Your launch was weak," Kai interjected. "If the dish hadn't been a standard one, you would've lost some balance and your blade would be the one sitting out of the dish." He drew in a deep breath and exhaled. "... But I know this won't happen again. First major battle of the year after months of nothing."

Max's smile didn't fade. "Understood Kai. It won't happen again."

"Now it's time for round two! Kenny of the Avengers will blade against Mario of Spintensity!"

Kenny's face was ashen pale at this point. Even his knuckles had turned white. "Come on, Kenny. No time to get cold feet now. This isn't the first time you've bladed before a big crowd," Kai said, trying to provide some form of encouragement in his usual Kai-like way.

"You'll do fine, Kenny," Max added. "You've bladed against the likes of Tala. Mario isn't on the same level." He patted him on the back.

Folding his arms across his chest, Kai added, "Even if you lose, we're guaranteed to go through. I will win my match. Just go out there and play your role. You only need to blade one match now. You can even throw in the match if you're really that worried – just make a weak launch."

Max lifted a brow. "That's bending the rules a bit."

"I've done it before against Daichi. There's no law that says you can't."

"Would Kenny of the Avengers please step up to the dish? You have sixty seconds."

Kai gave Kenny a gentle shove. "Go. Your laptop will be fine."

The boy nodded and hurried up towards the dish. Kai was amazed that he didn't trip over himself in the process. "Thanks for joining us Kenny," DJ Jazzman said. Kenny's face flushed red. The announcer threw his hands up in the air. "Bladers, are you ready? Three… Two… One… LET IT RIP!" Again, he made another throwdown.

Kenny launched his blade. Immediately, Hopper was pushed back. "Come on, Hopper! Go!" Mario's blade made a dash for Hopper, but Kenny's blade activated its special ability and hopped out of the way. So, Kenny still had the spring attached. Why he didn't remove that Kai did not know. How could he ever win if he never attacked?

"Attack!" Mario said, thrusting a finger forward.

"Oh no, Hopper! Dodge!" Hopper's jump ability might look like a good idea on paper, but in reality it actually made him more vulnerable. Every time he landed there was a short delay which gave the opponent an opportunity to strike when he was at his most vulnerable. Like now. Within seconds, Kenny's blade was knocked out of the dish. A pitiful performance, really, but Kenny wasn't a blader.

"…And the victory goes to Mario of Spintensity! We are all now wrapped up at one all! The victor of the final round will determine who goes on further!"

Kenny picked up his blade and returned to the stands. "It's all right, Kenny," Max said. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Kai will win."

"I know." He sat down on the bench and placed his laptop on his knees. Kai wasn't sure what thoughts were running through his head, but he couldn't just hang around and make the guy feel better. One, he had a battle to win. Secondly, making people feel good about themselves wasn't one of his strengths. He'd leave that to Max.

He walked up to the dish. Fans called out his name. Some people even had signs, many of them which were really quite embarrassing. "Marry me Kai," and "I love you!" were just some of the signs people had brought along. Pushing the signs out of his head, he took his position and pulled out his blade, cord and launcher.

"And the final round will take place between Kai of the Avengers and Frankie of Spintensity! We're in for a thrilling match, boys and girls!"

"Just get on with it," Kai said.

JD frowned then nodded. "Bladers, are you ready? Three… Two… One… LET IT RIP!"

The stadium erupted into frantic cheers as he released his Dranzer. He suspected most of them were calling out their praise for him. Ugh. Fans. "Dranzer! Show no mercy! End this quickly!" Kai ordered. Dranzer responded by glowing however she didn't emerge from the blade. It was just to show she was listening. "Attack!"

"This has to be the first time you've battled against a girl, yeah?" Frankie said. She ordered her blade to evade Kai's dash. Kai grunted. That's right. Frankie was an agility based blader, like Rei. "I have to say, I'm honoured. Go! Attack!" Her blade sped forwards towards Dranzer.

"I'll let my blade do the talking," Kai said, ignoring her comment. "Dranzer, attack!" Dranzer pulled back up the slope then sped down, ramming into Frankie's purple blade. Her blade was pushed back to the centre of the dish.

"What? Are you afraid of engaging in conversation with a girl?"

Did she talk this much when she battled Rei? Did all females talk this much? No wonder he never bladed against females. "Don't take it personally, but I don't like conversing with amateurs. You shouldn't even be in this competition. Without a bitbeast of your own, how do you think you'll even advance?"

This was just a waste of his time, and it added to his irritation. It didn't help DJ was screaming into a microphone over exaggerating every movement for dramatic purposes. Frankie ordered her blade to retreat then strike again, this time from a different angle. She had some skill – that he could grudgingly admit – the way she was able to make those sharp turns on command without fail was impressive. However, that wouldn't be enough to win her the match.

"…and Frankie's blade is chasing after Dranzer like a cat chasing a mouse! This is highly unusual from Kai. What game is he playing?"

Launch. Steady. Rotation. Good. Speed. Decent. Power. Solid. A little rusty, but that would be fixed by the next battle. Now it was time to end it. "I've had enough of your game, Frankie. Maybe if you had a bitbeast of your own, this battle might actually be competitive, but your journey ends here. Finish it, Dranzer!" Dranzer counter-attacked, forcing Frankie's blade to the opposite rim of the dish.

"Hold on!"

"…Kai has just joined the game, folks! He's pushing back Frankie's blade!"

"Now, final attack, Dranzer!" Dranzer gave one final push and it was all over for Frankie. Too easy, but what else could he expect from a bunch of amateurs? Frankie dropped to her knees as Kai recalled his blade. "It's not your fault," Kai said, putting his blade away. "Blame the organizers for matching you against us. There was never going to be a chance."

"…And Kai has just defeated Frankie! Kai's victory brings the Avengers to two points out of three meaning they will be the first team to advance!"

Kai walked down the stairs and rejoined his teammates. Max threw a fist into the air. "Good work, Kai. I knew you were going to win."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We won against amateurs. It's highly likely we'll be facing off against the Majestics in our opening match and that won't be so simple." Now the real fight began - a battle of the best blading against each other in a journey to become number one. The point system of last year had been scrapped in favour of the traditional tournament format. "Right."

"The Majestics start their journey in about an hour's time," Max said. "I take it you're going to watch."

Kai nodded. "Of course, but I'm going to get Tyson and Rei first."

"I'll grab a seat then," Kenny said.

"And I'll get the popcorn," said Max.

"Grab me a coke while you're at it," Kai added just before Max left.

Max flashed him the thumbs up. "On it, Kai. See you soon."

With that said Kai turned his back and headed back towards the training room. Hopefully, Rei and Tyson managed to get a few hours of practice in because the match against the Majestics was not going to be so easily won.


	18. My Brother, My Enemy

...Sadly no reviews for the last chapter so no one to thank this time around.

 **.**

 **Chapter Seventeen: My Brother, My Enemy**

Tyson pulled his attention from the screen. All the qualifying matches of Block A had been completed, and as expected, the champion teams had passed. That meant the Avengers would be up against the Majestics for the second round of the elimination tournament. His stomach muscles tightened. It had been years since he bladed against Robert. The Majestics had been robbed of a spot last year and surely they would come out firing this year.

"So we're going up against the Majestics," Kai said, looking down at the screen. Kenny was replaying one of their matches. "They arrived late but just in time to defeat their opponents and they seem to be in peak condition. Oliver didn't blade – actually, there was no mention of Oliver at all so I'm thinking he's not competing this year."

"Well, to be fair, he does have a life outside blading. He's a top chef and runs multiple restaurants," Rei pointed out. "It's understandable that he won't be blading this year. It doesn't change anything though – we've each battled the Majestics before and we know what they're capable of. We need to decide who is going to blade against whom."

Kenny looked up from the screen. "The Majestics didn't reveal much during their annihilation of the Charming Princes. The battles were over before they had even truly begun. They're certainly out to prove something this time and I think it's more than simply 'proving a point'." He brought up Enrique's match. "Enrique, Johnny and Robert bladed. Their blades didn't exactly perform to their usual standards, but I suppose being jet lagged had something to do with it.

On the screen, Rei watched Enrique's blade smash his rival's out of the dish with brute force. If that was the Majestics at their lowest then their highest point must be overwhelming. "I'll battle against Enrique. Amphilyon's two heads won't be a match for Driger's superior speed. The bigger they are, the harder they fall after all."

"Enrique is the weakest of the Majestics. He didn't even get to blade in the mini tournament against us. And remember, he's the only blader who has ever lost control of his bitbeast," Tyson explained, taking a seat next to Kenny. "We'll work the same tactic against him. Pit the two heads against each other."

Kai shook his head. "I highly doubt a blader as proud as Enrique will allow himself to mess up that badly again. There's a lot on the line for the Majestics. They lose this, and they'll become washed up European champions if they aren't already. This is their big comeback year and I don't think they're going to mess it up." He pointed at the screen just as Amphilyon collided into the rival's. "If you pause the screen, you can see a crack appearing in the other blade. There's a lot of power in Amphilyon and I think we only saw a fraction of it. I wouldn't be writing him off just yet."

"What about Johnny then?" Hilary said.

"Johnny defeated Kai in their first match, but Kai came back with a victory in the second time they fought. Johnny's lack of anger management led to his own downfall," Rei said coolly. "They're both fire-based bladers but with opposite temperaments."

Kai snorted. "If you think I'm going to waste my time blading that incompetent fool then you're wrong. I've beaten him before and I won't do it again. Let him never have the satisfaction of getting his revenge." He turned to Rei. "I want you to blade against him instead of Enrique. Max can take on the blond."

Raising a brow, Max said, "Are you sure, Kai?"

Kai nodded. "Positive. We need to battle opponents that we don't have an unfair advantage against. We need to be pushed to the limit to get the best out of each battle otherwise we'll never feel truly tested until the final round."

His words made sense. The qualifying rounds had been far too easy. "That leaves with me battling Robert then," Tyson said. It would make it the third time he had squared off against the captain. They were evenly matched in terms of raw power. The only edge Tyson had over Robert was that he had his team's support. It had given him the mental edge. Things were going to be different now. "I can handle him."

"You're both based on the element of wind so no unfair advantage there," Kai said.

"Right. So it's Max, Rei and myself. Is that going to be the actual order?"

Kenny brought up the match schedule. "Enrique will fight first, then… Robert? Johnny's last."

"That's certainly unexpected," Rei commented. "What's up with the change?"

"I suppose they hope to win their first two matches so there's no real pressure on the final blader," Kenny answered. "Makes sense having Robert battle second. If anyone can win under these conditions, it's Robert."

"Well, now that we've sorted out the battle order, should we discuss the next topic on today's agenda before we fly out to Sydney for the quarters?" Hilary said, sitting opposite to Tyson. "We've got two hours before we need to catch the plane." An ninety minute flight to Sydney and some time to get in a few more practice sessions in. Block A battles were hosted in Sydney and the Block B battles would be in Melbourne the following day. A tight schedule.

"The Horseman and the Bai Hu Clan will be battling for their spots in the tournament later today," Kai said. "The White Tigers and the Saint Shields have their battles as well, but we'll be on a plane by that point." He motioned for his teammates to stand up. "Match begins in about thirty minutes. We're in third row, platinum seating on the right hand side."

Advantage of being a competing blader. Priority seating in the stadium. Tyson surged to his feet, excited. "Their profiles haven't been updated yet. They're certainly keeping us in suspense. I wonder who they are and what they're capable of?"

Max chuckled. "We'll soon found out. Dibs on not buying food."

"I'll buy us food," Rei said. "They have meal packages for thirty dollars so I'll just get one of those. Hilary, come with. If Tyson comes, there'll be no food for the rest of us." The rest of the team (minus Kai) laughed. Kai just rolled his eyes, but he did spare a smirk. "We'll see you soon." He left the room with Hilary.

"We should get moving ourselves," Kenny said. "I don't want to mess out on the pre-match commentary."

.

"Thanks for coming, Miguel. I hope I didn't pull you away from your teammates," Emily said, taking the seat across from Miguel at the café on venue. To be honest, she hadn't expected Miguel to agree to meet with her. He was attending the tournament as a spectator and his teammates were probably waiting for him in the stands. But nope. Miguel wanted to be here with her.

Shaking his head, he placed both his hands on the table, resting his elbows on the ledge. "You sounded upset when I talked to this morning. I want you to know that even though we're on separate teams, you and I friends. I haven't been able to meet up with you since the days of rebel alliance so when you said you wanted to talk I knew it would be foolish to pass this opportunity up."

He grabbed the menu on the table just as Emily reached out for it. Her hand brushed up against his fingers. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she pulled her hand away abruptly, desperately praying her cheeks weren't red. How awkward. "I'm glad you're here. It feels good to talk to someone outside my own team."

He smiled, and she felt her stomach muscles tighten. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? This wasn't the first time she had spoken with Miguel. "So what's happening with you and your team? You said you had resigned. Don't tell me you left the All Stars."

"I had to," she said, casting her gaze downwards. "I couldn't be around him anymore."

"Michael, right?"

She looked up. The concern in his brilliant blue eyes made her feel weak at the knees. No one had ever looked at her like that. Nice to know she had some value to someone. "Who else? He told me what he really thought of me. He thinks I'm useless so I said I'd resign. I'm not a blader for the All-Stars anymore. I don't care how they perform in this tournament."

"Come on, Em, you can't mean that. You gave everything to your team."

"And they threw it back in my face. I can't be around someone like that who devalues me as a person. We've been together for years and all I ever wanted was for him to treat me with some form of respect, but he thinks I'm just some silly geek." She brought both hands to her face and readjusted her glasses. "It's what he's always wanted. I'm not ever going to forget how he looked at me when I first joined the team. With repulsion. Disgust."

And it hurt deeper than she'd like to admit. In tennis people had made fun of her for wearing glasses. Jocks namely. The perfect athletes. So she turned to blading to vent out her frustrations. Appearance didn't matter in blading… Or so she had thought. "Em, listen to me." Miguel leaned forward. "Don't let your teammates get under your skin. They're jealous of you because they'd be nothing without you."

"That's kind of you to say that but… They're on their own now."

Silence. This had to be a dream, right? Miguel was just too perfect to be real, but here he was sitting right before her. The golden boy of Barthaz Battalion. Platinum luscious blond locks. Brilliant blue eyes full of adoration and concern. A strong commanding voice and a brain between his two ears that worked well.

"Are you going to continue working for the company?"

Emily shrugged. "I've been thinking about it. There's no reason for me to stay."

"Whatever you choose to do, know that you have my support. You need to follow your heart and do what you feel is right. Do what makes you happy because life is too short to live in misery," Miguel said. Unconsciously, Emily leaned closer. She jumped slightly when she felt his hands take hers. "I learned that lesson the hard way with Barthaz. It wasn't until Tyson gave me a lecture that I woke up to myself. I know what it feels like to be trapped, and I don't want you to go feel that pain too."

She didn't dare meet his eyes. How could she? If she looked, she'd be lost in them forever, completely oblivious to everything and everyone around her. She pulled her hands free of Miguel's and climbed to her feet, feeling somewhat flustered. "I… I should be going. I need to talk to Judy and confirm."

Miguel was up in a flash. He stood in front of her and grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him. Very close. She could feel the warmth of his body against her skin and that alone sent a shiver down her spine. He looked down at her. "Do what's right for you, Em. I'll always be here to listen because that's what true companions do for each other."

He brought a hand to her chin and tilted it upwards so that her eyes had no choice but to focus on him. He gave her one of his brilliant dashing smiles and she swore that if not for him standing right there, she probably would've fainted. How embarrassing. "I… ah… Appreciate it." Her cheeks were burning hot. So much for staying in control. Bloody hormones. Damn Miguel for looking so fine and for being such a smooth talker. Just a smile of his could melt her heart.

He pulled her into a hug. She melted against his chest. Miguel held her for a couple of moments then pulled back. "Stay strong, okay?" She nodded. A smile broke out across his face as he continued to look into her eyes. Try as she might, she couldn't break contact, and just resigned herself to staring back at him. For awhile they gazed at each other, unknowingly drawing in closer. Closer still they neared until their lips connected. Pure bliss. If only this moment would last forever.

Miguel suddenly withdrew, his tan cheeks flushed red. "Er," he said, clearing his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."

She played along with his awkwardness. "Yeah, me too."

He lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "I should probably get back to my team. I'll see you later. Bye, Em!" He retreated. Emily sighed as she watched Miguel retreat. For a long time she had hoped Michael would be the one to sweep her off her feet, but Miguel had gotten their first. She smiled. Resigning from the All Stars was the best thing that could've happened.

.

Once again, the stadium was packed. Not a single seat remained. It seemed like every match day was going to be like this. As Kai led his teammates towards their seating, some fans called out for autographs and photos. Kai wanted to ignore them, but Max and Tyson dragged him over for some quick photos.

"Yeah that's right, world number one!" Tyson exclaimed, taking a selfie with some girl. Once the photo was taken, Tyson signed a few shirts, arms and phones. He was loving this attention. Even Max was getting right into it.

The blond slung his right arm over a teenage male and smiled into the camera. "Say cheese!" he said as Kenny took the photo. Kai didn't like touching other people, especially people that were total strangers, but somehow he found himself in multiple photos and receiving random hugs from his fans.

"You guys are the best!" a girl exclaimed.

"You're going to go all the way!" said another.

"I have a photo of you as my laptop's background," said a girl with black hair winking in Kai's direction.

A visible shudder raced down his spine. He wondered just how many people had pictures and posters of him in their houses. Creepy. "Well, that's enough now. The match is about to start. Thank you for the support, but we must be going," Kai said, taking charge of the situation. Any more signings and his hand might just fall off. He ignored the disappointed sighs from the fans, but a match awaited.

Tyson sat down to his right and Max took the left. Quite a few of the seats in the platinum area were empty. He supposed the other teams were busy trying to get some practice in whilst they could. Not all the teams were absent – the Demolition Boys were present. They were sitting two rows in front. Their battle yesterday had been brief, but that wasn't surprising. Many of the professional teams weren't going to reveal much of their powers that early on.

DJ Jazzman stood on a raised platform to the dish's right. He held the microphone high in the air and shouted into it as usual. "Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second day of the qualifying matches! Yesterday, our final four teams of Block A were chosen. The Avengers, the Majestics, the Demoliton Boys and the All-Stars will be battling in Sydney in a few days time. Today, we'll see which four teams of Block B will advance through to the next round in Melbourne!"

"Hey Tala, after this let's head on down to Fortitude Valley," Kai head Ian comment.

"Fortitude Valley?"

Ian nodded. "Bryan and I ran into some street kids the other day. They don't blade like the usual folks we've come across. They don't blade by the rules so it makes for interesting battles. What do you think?"

"Yeah, we'll check it out after this battle."

Blading against street kids then. That's how the D-Boys were passing their time blading in the shady back alleys of Fortitude Valley. No real surprises there – shady places attracted shady people. It was also an area known for its nightlife. He tuned their voices out and looked back at the stadium. An image of today's battles appeared on the screen. All the Block B battles would be held today with the Horsemen battling against the Savage Slammers first up.

"The Horsemen are one of the new faces in this tournament along with the Bai Hu Clan," DJ said. "I've been hearing these teams have some amazing moves and I'm sure we're all going to be in for a treat when these teams take the dish. Please welcome the Horsemen to the stadium and their opponents the Savage Slammers!"

The teams walked out into the stadium. Kai couldn't careless about the Slammers much, but the Horsemen certainly captured his interest. Carlos. Alan. Bruno. And… Alexander? Faces of their past. Humiliated foes. "Alan," Max said, sitting upright in his seat. "What are you doing there?" The team waved to the crowds. The crowd roared back.

"No… no way," Tyson said. "Not Alexander."

Kai gripped the arms of his chair. Alexander. An Abbey kid. One of Voltaire's lackeys? Or was he working for someone else? He sensed something warm in his pocket and dug a hand in to pull the blade out. The bitchip was glowing. "Dranzer senses something," Kai said, frowning. Was the presence of these old faces the reason why their bitbeasts were refusing to summon the previous day?

"So does Draciel."

"And Dragoon."

Kai put his blade away, troubled. "Max, your mother knew Alan, yeah?"

"My mother introduced me to him."

"I think it would be wise to talk to your mother about this. Maybe she knows something we don't. To have these people show up again after years of silence… Doesn't that strike you as being a little suspicious?"

He didn't get a response as Rei and Hilary arrived with a bowl of fries, a plate of hotdogs and some cans of soft drink. Stadium food at its finest. "Wait. Is that Bruno?" Rei said, as he took his seat next to Max, settling the food on his lap.

"Welcome to the party, Rei," Tyson said. "And yeah, that's Bruno."

Max took the hotdogs plate and passed it over to the end. "I'm going to send my mum a text. Maybe she can meet with us after the match? Does that sound all right?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine. Kenny, make sure you keep track of this match. I want to look over the statistics later," Kai said. Kenny nodded. He helped himself to a handful of fries, not once taking his eyes of the stadium floor. Bruno walked up onto the stage to face his first opponent, Fernando.

"And we're ready for the first round! Bruno will battle Fernando! Give it up for our competitors, folks!"

The cheers of the crowd were far more subdued than they were during the Avengers' battle, but that was understandable. No point in throwing all your support behind a team with no history. "Hey guys?" Kenny started. "We got another problem."

"What's up, Chief?" said Tyson, glancing over his shoulder, a couple of fries in his mouth.

"The profiles of the Bai Hu Clan are finally up. Dohna, Master Li, Kevlin and… Mystel."

"Wait, Mystel? From the Bega League?"

"That's correct, Max. Bega aren't a competing team this year so Mystel is free to join up with someone else if he wishes."

Tyson glanced back. "This tournament is shaping up to a big one."

"Okay Dizzi, the battle is about to begin. Do your magic," Kenny said.

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… Two… One… LET IT RIP!"

The bladers released their blades into the dish. As the blades collided, a mini shockwave rocked the building. The crowd thought they were being entertained and welcomed the action with claps and cheers, but Kai was concerned. To his relief, Dizzi echoed his thoughts. "I'm getting some strange readings from this kid's blade," she said. "Let's just say I'm glad I'm trapped in this laptop than in Fernado's blade."

Kenny tapped away at the keyboard and brought up another screen revealing the power readings. Three thousand… Six thousand… Ten thousand… "Impossible," he said. "The power levels are off the charts and Bruno isn't even breaking a sweat!" He tapped away at his keyboard again, but the readings did not change.

"Wow folks, did you feel that?" DJ exclaimed, his hands gripping onto the railings of the raised platform. "The battle has begun and already we're being treated to a rockin' battle! Fernado is trying hard to fight back, but Bruno's blade is just too quick! Fernando tries to go for a sneak attack, but oh – Bruno's blade evaded it and now he's on the counter attack, and just look at him go! He's speeding across the dish! Don't blink now or you'll miss it!"

Within seconds, it was over. Fernando's blade was blasted out of the dish. It had happened all so quickly that if it weren't for the cameras and the ability to pause on a laptop, he would've missed it completely. He saw the faintest flicker of flames emerge from Bruno's blade, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. That would explain the black scorch mark on the dish.

"…What was that?" Hilary said, dumbfounded.

"That had to be a bitbeast. A normal blade can't do that," Rei said. "Did you see how quickly it moved?"

"Hey Kenny. Can you go back to the frame where the flames appeared?" Kenny did as was asked. Kai peered closer, his eyes focusing on the bitchip. Rei was right. A bitbeast was responsible and what a bitbeast it was. It was a weird fusion of lion, goat and snake with the wings of a dragon. "A chimera. The other three must have bitbeasts of their own as well…" Kai trailed off.

"And that technique. It's perfect. The perfect launch. The perfect strike. They've been well coached," Max said. "His timing was right on."

Tyson surged to his feet. "Where are you going?" Kai said.

"To find answers," Tyson replied. Before anyone could stop him, Tyson ran off.

Kai was up in a flash. Knowing Tyson he was probably going to find their dressing room and create a scene. "I'm going to find him before he creates a scene. The rest of you stay here and continue watching," he ordered.

"Let me help, Kai. If anyone can get through to Tyson, it's me," Hilary said, also rising to her feet. She shuffled past Rei and joined Kai. "Let's go."

.

Michael had been checking out the food stalls when he spotted Miguel and Emily looking rather comfortable at a nearby café. They were in deep conversation about something and both appeared to be enjoying themselves. Emily was gazing into Miguel's eyes and Miguel kept giving her flirtatious smiles.

He didn't like it at all. Not one bit. Emily was part of _his_ team and here she was mingling with Miguel! He was so tempted to walk over and slug the guy in the face, but unfortunately for him, Rick was there to stop him from doing anything rash. He spun around and glared. "What?!" he snapped. He should've been in a better mood after winning his match yesterday, but seeing Miguel with Emily dampened his spirits.

"Don't even think about it, Michael."

"Just stay out of it, Rick. It doesn't concern you."

Rick grabbed Michael's arm and held him back. "Don't ruin her chance at happiness."

"You think this is about Emily? It's about Miguel. What the hell does he think he's doing?"

"Talking to a friend. That's what friends do. They talk," he stated matter-of-factly.

Oh, how he wanted to hit Rick, but that would be foolish. The guy was built like a tank. It was hard, but he managed to restrain himself from risking breaking his fist in Rick's face. "But with Miguel?"

"I don't see why it matters… unless you're jealous," Rick said, tone laced with amusement.

"I'm _not_ jealous," he stammered. "It's just… Emily is on our team."

"There's no law that prohibits teams mingling with others, Michael. Besides, Emily resigned – didn't you get the memo? She quit the team last night."

That should've made him happy. For many long months he had put up with her insults and snide remarks, but he didn't feel the joy he expected. "She can't just leave."

"Well, she did. She still works for the PBB, but she's no longer a blader for the All-Stars. She took your words to heart, Michael, and she did as you asked. I thought you'd be feeling a lot happier – you got what you wanted."

"I didn't-Not like this."

A hint of a smirk crossed Rick's lips. "So you do care."

"I don't-I don't know," he conceded. Damn Rick. But was he right? Did he actually harbour some sort of attraction towards the girl who drove him up the wall every time she appeared on the scene? Of course not. Right?

Rick's smile faded. "She's going to leave the PBB you know."

"And what do you want me to do about it? You just said not to ruin her happiness." What sort of game was Rick playing at? He said one thing then contradicted it with another. "If she wants to leave PBB who am I to stop her?"

"I said not to ruin her moment with Miguel. That was the happiness I was referring to."

Michael turned his back. Miguel had left and Emily was left just sitting at the table looking rather pleased with herself. There was obviously some form of attraction on her part towards Miguel. Why else would she be looking so happy? "I can't stop her from choosing Miguel, Rick."

"You'll lose her forever if you don't say anything now. You don't know for sure if Emily likes Miguel – she's been hurt, Michael, and she's turned to Miguel for support. If you hadn't pushed her away in the first place she wouldn't even be with him." Rick stepped in front of him. "Now you have a choice to make. Are you going to fight or just let her walk without having a chance to explain yourself?"

It had never occurred to him that Emily would actually resign from the PBB. This was her life. To pack her bags and walk away from it all didn't make any sense. Where would she go? Start something up with Miguel? His mood dampened. "She hates me."

Rick shook his head. "I disagree. I think she prefers your company but you're too clueless to even notice." He paused for a few moments to allow his words to sink in. "Think about it. She stood at your side when Max and I took the blading responsibility earlier last year. She's always stood at your side even though you were in the wrong. And let's not forget, you're the only one she goes out of her way to annoy."

That was true. Emily seemed to take great delight in harassing him over the unimportant things. Like pointing out she was a far better blader than he was. She also went out of her way to ensure she was always standing beside him. Still, he wasn't convinced. If Emily was so interested in him, why was she spending time with Miguel? "And yet she's with Miguel."

Rick laughed. "Man, you are clueless. She's hiding her true feelings towards you by pretending to act like you're the most annoying person around. It's not a hard thing to do actually. You can be quite annoying."

"Thanks for the support, Rick," Michael muttered.

"She's tried to express herself to you, but you don't pay much attention... if any at all. No wonder she's turning to Miguel." He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Since when did you become such an expert?"

"I'm naturally observant. You have to be when you're a street kid."

Great. He was receiving relationship advice from Rick, the most unlikely of people. He turned back again searching for Emily, but she was no longer sitting down at the table. Perhaps she was on her way to Judy to officially resign? Stomach muscles tightening and dread rising, he turned back around. What if he was already too late to repair the damage?

"Judy's headed down to South Bank to clear her head. She's near that ferris wheel. That's where Emily will be heading. Don't let this opportunity to make things right pass by, Michael. You'll never know who you lost once she walks out that door." Was he talking from experience? Maybe there was more to Rick after all than what met the eye.

"What about our flight?"

"You still have a couple of hours. Now go. Stop wasting words on me."

Michael didn't need further encouragement. He had taken part in many battles before, but this was going to be the toughest challenge yet.

.

Tyson didn't stop running until he reached the 'teams only' area. Alexander appearing, and now he had joined with a team that had bitbeasts of their own? A team of rookies who couldn't even win a match when it counted most? He pushed past a few cleaners and continued to sprint down the hallway, desperately searching for the dressing room of the Horsemen.

Fortunately, there was a sign on the wall. It read, 'Horsemen – Dressing Room Left Hall, Room 1B.' Tyson followed the direction of the arrow then turned a corner into another corridor. The team dressing rooms for those in Block B. At the far end of the hall he spotted an older male with blue-grey longish hair. He looked oddly familiar… Hiro?

"Tyson. Can't you read a sign? You're in Block A," said a voice behind him.

Tyson wanted to call out to Hiro (if it really was him), but he was interrupted by another speaker. Turning around, he came face to face with Alexander himself. Fingers balled into fists. "You."

"You're not supposed to be here, Tyson."

"Why are you competing?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's why you're snooping around. You're worried, aren't you? You felt that power coming from Bruno's blade and it scared you even though you won't admit it. You know that your time is up and there's nothing you can do about it. I warned you before it was going to end like this. You should've listened, but it's too late to back out now." A sinister grin spread across his face. The smile made Tyson's skin crawl. "We're going to win this tournament. You can thank your brother for that. You heard me – Hiro is our coach and he's determined to ensure we win."

Hiro? So that was him. He knew his eyes weren't deceiving him, but why would Hiro side with a bunch of creeps like this? _He betrayed you once – why wouldn't he do it again?_ Said a voice in the back of his mind. "No. My brother wouldn't turn his back on me without explanation."

A dry laughed escaped Alexander's throat. "But he did because you're weak Tyson and you know it. Without your friends and family at your side, you're nothing. I joined this team because they offered me a chance to prove myself worthy and the only way to achieve that is to defeat you and your little friends. Do me a favour, Tyson, and make it to the finals, yeah? I want to crush your Dragoon before the public. I want to see the heartbreak on your face when I raise the trophy that I deserve."

No. All lies. It had to be. Hiro… Hiro didn't think he was weak, did he? Was that why Hiro had abandoned him as a child? Was he so pathetic Hiro left hoping he'd become stronger on his own? Had Hiro sided with BEGA for the same reason? Is that why Hiro was now coaching this team of old foes?

"You seem shocked, Tyson. Lost for words? That would be a start."

A slap in the face. No. It was worse than that. It was like taking a punch to the gut and having your heart ripped out then receiving a stab in the back. His own brother had abandoned him again without explanation. "I want Hiro to speak now. I'm not going to listen to your lies!" Tyson exclaimed, feeling anger chorusing through his veins. "Hiro!" he screamed.

"Your brother doesn't want to associate with a loser like you, Tyson. Why don't you just turn around and go back to your side?" Alexander taunted. "I'll forgive you for invading our privacy just this once. If anyone asks I'll say you're just meeting up with an old forgotten friend."

"That's enough, Alexander."

Tyson looked behind the blader. Hiro. Normally, the sight of his brother would fill him with joy, but now he felt only anger. Alexander straightened, and looked to the eldest Granger sibling. "Hiro. Forgive me; I didn't realize you were present."

"Return to your room. We need a debriefing session." Alexander nodded and retreated. Once Alexander had gone, Hiro faced Tyson. He folded his arms over his chest and gave him a look that could only be interpreted as disappointment. "I could hear your voice at the other end of the hallway. Somehow I'm not surprised to see you here."

Bristling with anger, Tyson raised a finger and stabbed it at Hiro's direction. "I came for answers."

"Honestly, Tyson, why don't you just drop it and return to your teammates? The answers you seek won't be found here," Hiro answered in a placid manner.

"How can you do this to me?" Tyson blurted out, unable to stop himself. "You can't just show up after years of absence and screw me around like this! I'm your younger brother and you treat me as if you wish I didn't exist! Is that how little I mean to you? You're just happy to ditch me because you can?"

Hiro's expression remained neutral, his face not betraying his inner thoughts. "I have my reasons."

"And you think that justifies it?! You left me for your own personal gain! All this time I was a fool to think that you actually cared, but you never did, did you? I looked up to you, Hiro! You were the blader I wanted to be!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs now. His entire body was trembling from rage, but still his mouth kept moving. "You sided with Brooklyn against me and you didn't bother to explain why and now you're siding with them? What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

"It's for the best that we work separate."

"What?"

Hiro's expression hardened. "Why do you think I agreed to coach the BBA Revolution? Did you think it was just a happy family reunion?" He gave a sardonic laugh. "I took on the job because you were weak…. And you still are. You surround yourself with other people because you're afraid to be alone. You don't want people to see how fragile you really are. How _weak_ you are. You think winning a trophy makes you a true champion? Don't make me laugh. If you believe that you really are delusional."

No. Hiro couldn't mean those words… Why would he say such things? "You're lying," Tyson replied through clenched teeth, feeling tears threatening to spill. His own brother… "You're being paid to these things."

"I know it's hard to hear Tyson, but I've always been forward with you. I'm being paid to coach this team, but the words I speak come from my heart – not from money. I'm sorry, Tyson, but that's the truth."

"I don't believe you." Lies. All lies. Whoever Hiro was working for was making him say all these things. That had to be it. No way would the Hiro he grew up admiring would spit on his family like this.

"Believe what you want, Tyson, but I've spoken my peace. We have nothing else left to say so I think it's best if we separate now before I call in the guards to take you away." His tone was so devoid of emotion Tyson wondered if Hiro was actually being sincere in his words. "I hope that one day we'll come to an understanding." Hiro turned his back and walked back down the hallway, returning to his new team.

Once Hiro was out of sight, Tyson dropped to his knees, and punched the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks. Traitor. Liar. A man with a heart made of stone that only cared for himself. His own brother a betrayer. Everything his brother had said to him had just been a big lie. Hiro left him to free himself of responsibility. Grandpa filled the spot Hiro was supposed to take. "Tyson?" At the mention of his name, Tyson glanced over his shoulder and spotted Hilary and Kai standing a few feet away.

"It's done. I'm done here."


	19. Now the Real Fight Begins

Thanks to Drazzilia, unaisa memon and Cutetyhil for reviewing the previous chapter!

 **.**

 **Chapter Eighteen: Now the Real Fights Begins**

" _It's done. I'm done here."_

They had been Tyson's words, but what exactly did they mean? Tyson refused to speak. He had simply picked himself up from the ground and returned to his room in silence. Hilary was worried. Tyson was known for being overly emotional and letting them override his rational mind, but he looked devastated. The heartbreak visible on his face stabbed through her like a knife.

She didn't know the source of his pain, but seeing Tyson hurt, made her feel terrible too. He hadn't spoken since departing the Sydney airport late yesterday afternoon. He hadn't said a single word when asked for an interview. He even turned down a few autographs and his teammates had to come up with an excuse. Something had happened yesterday but it was hard to know what.

They were now at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Usually this place was home to concerts and such, but now they were using it as a beyblade stadium. The place had been refurbished just for this event. There weren't so many seats available this time round (approximately thirteen thousand), but that only brought the fans closer to the action.

There were cameras positioned in every angle to cover every single second of the battles. The commentary box was on the upper corner left to the big LCD screen. The stadium dish was twice as big as the one used for the qualifiers and was currently covered up by a trapdoor. The entire hall had been redesigned to cater for two days of action.

"This is where the real fight begins," Max said, looking left and right, taking in the surroundings of the crowd. "The rematch of the century. The Avengers against the Majestics."

Kenny could hardly stand still. He was a nervous wreck, and constantly consuming plastic cups of coffee. She believed he was up to his fifth latte now. Had the boy even slept last night? Probably not. "The boys are going to be fine, Kenny," Hilary said, trying her damn hardest to calm him down. The team was already on edge, and having their mechanic and analyst freak out wasn't going to help.

"We're not ready for this!" he said, panicked. "I analysed their statistics from the past couple of days and they're nowhere near their results of last year!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Kenny." Still, Kenny's words were a worry. If the boys were underperforming, how on earth were they going to defeat a team as powerful as the Majestics? It was even worse because Kenny's stats on the Majestics were three years old. How much stronger had they become since then? No wonder Kenny was on the edge of having a nervous breakdown.

"Dramatic? Dramatic?! Everything is riding on this battle and if we lose two matches, then we're out of the tournament!" She wanted to slap him in the first. Maybe that would knock some sense into him. Where was Daichi when you needed him?

"Max, you're up first," Kai said.

Max nodded. "I know I can take him."

At least someone was positive.

"I wish we were in the Demolition Boys shoes right now. At least they have an extra day of practice," Rei noted, looking up at the screen. "Shame we'll miss out on the Horsemen's battle against the Saint Shields. Their match in Melbourne is on at the same time as our match."

The battles had been divided to disperse the crowd and to allow more time for practice for the semis and finals which were to be held in New Zealand. "Let's just worry on winning our battles first. Does anyone know what dish we're going to be fighting in?" Max said.

Hilary brought out the pamphlet and opened it to Round One, Block A, Quarter Finalists 1 and 2. There were three dishes listed on the page. "The Sydney Opera House, King's Canyon and the Blue Mountains. One is a big city with the Opera House, the second is a real life replica of King's Canyon of the Watarrka National Park of the Northern Territory and the last is obviously the mountains of the same name." She put the pamphlet away. "Demolition Boys and All Stars will be fighting in a similar environment."

"Well, at least the dishes have gone back to being creative again," Rei said. "Let's just hope the Majestics have trouble adapting."

Hilary looked at Tyson. He hadn't said a single word. Troubling. Usually the guy couldn't stop talking. She knew him well enough not to pry for details – a battle against Robert would sort him out. Kai dropped his arms to his sides.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to another action packed day! Today we'll be witnessing a battle between the Majestics, the Champions of Europe against the tournament favourites, the Avengers! The last time these two teams met was four years ago during a side tournament in Robert's own personal stadium!" said DJ Jazzman. The big screen was currently replaying matches of their last encounter. "Sadly, Oliver Polanski of the Majestics has had to pull out of the tournament due to personal problems, but his teammates will fight hard in his place."

"So we were right – Oliver has pulled out."

"Doesn't change a thing," Kai said as he readjusted his scarf. "Most likely we'd still be battling Enrique, Johnny and Robert anyway. We're behind you, Max. We know you and Draciel have the power to withstand Amphilyon."

"Thanks guys. I'll make the team proud." Digging a hand into his pocket, Max pulled out his beyblade. As Max approached the dish, the rest of the team sat down on the bench. Hilary rested her hands on her lap and tried to keep her gaze focused on the match ahead, but she couldn't help but keep looking at Tyson. He seemed so… disheartened, as if he had just lost someone close to him. But as much as she wanted to reach out to Tyson and tell him everything was going to be okay, right now Max needed her support.

"And Max will be the first to blade for the Avengers!" DJ Jazzman cried out, pulling Hilary out of her thoughts. "His opponent will be Enrique of the Majestics! This is the first time these two have met in a battle so you folks watching this know you're going to be in for one heck of a battle! Now, let's reveal the dish you'll be battling in!"

There was a whirring noise from beneath. The covering over the dish opened up to reveal a smaller version of the Sydney Opera House and the harbour surrounding it. The dish was huge – it was the same size as the ones used during the Bega battles. They certainly weren't holding back. Looking at the dish made her feel like she was actually near the Opera House. The detail was astonishing.

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!"

.

Enrique considered himself to be one of the finest bladers in Europe, if not the world, but Max was also highly rated. Max also had far more experience in battling under these sorts of conditions having battled successfully in three world tournaments. It made him feel like the underdog. It didn't help the crowd was yelling for Max. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder over at his teammates. Robert was sitting on the bench whilst Johnny was on his feet. They both nodded, and Enrique turned back. His teammates had his back.

"I thought you had resigned, Max," Enrique said, pointing a finger at him. "You should've stayed out of the game to spare yourself the pain of losing. Amphilyon, rise!" He wasn't going to waste any time. The quicker he summoned Amphilyon, the faster this battle would end.

"And Enrique has just summoned his bitbeast Amphilyon as he dives in for the kill!"

"Two can play that game! Go, Draciel!" As expected, Max summoned his bitbeast. Amphilyon was at least twice the size of Draciel. It was like an elephant standing next to a mouse. Amphilyon's two heads came together and snarled at the tortoise-type creature. "Your dragon is impressive, Enrique, but Draciel isn't intimidated by his size! Draciel, use Iron Defense!"

Draciel curled up into a ball. His armour plating glowed silver for a few seconds then returned to their normal colour. So, Max hoped to strengthen his defence first? Enrique smiled. Amphilyon's jaws could break through easily and poor Draciel was going to be the first to receive Amphilyon's bone-crushing jaws.

"Amphilyon, use Magnitude!" His dragon jumped up into the air then crashed back down, applying his full body weight to cause the ground to shake. The water in the harbour rose a few metres and started spilling out onto the land around the Opera House. Max threw his hands out to the sides to steady himself.

"Enrique gets straight down to business by ordering his Amphilyon to cause the entire building to shake!" DJ exclaimed, hanging onto the railings. "Hold onto your seats, folks!"

"Draciel! Hold your ground!" Draciel planted his feet into the dirt and covered his face with his claws, tucking his head in behind. The waves crashed into him, but the bitbeast held his position. Immediately, the waves receded. "Counter-attack! Use Shell Attack!" Draciel roared up at the sky then charged. His bitbeast tucked in his head before ramming his body into Amphilyon's belly.

Amphilyon roared in agitation as he was pushed back a few feet. "Amphilyon, strike now! Crunch Attack!" Amphilyon's forehead clamped down on Draciel's exposed neck, sinking his fangs into the flesh, eliciting a pained cry from his opponent's throat. Draciel struggled, trying to free himself, but Amphilyon's grip was unrelenting. Amphilyon's other head came around and snarled. "Now use Take Down!" The other head bit down on Draciel's arm. Held firmly in place, Amphilyon flapped his wings and took to the air. The force applied by his wing flaps caused the dust on the ground to rise up and form a funnel.

"Wow, Amphilyon is turning up the intensity of this battle by creating a funnel! Draciel has been grabbed wrestling style and is now being taking skywards! If you're wearing a hat, you might wanna hold onto that too before it flies right out of the stadium!"

"Do you see it now, Max? There's nothing you can do to stop my dragon's power! Now use Pile Drive!" The funnel moved around in circles, thankfully staying on land. If it moved onto the water Max would surely use that to his advantage. He had to finish the battle now. Amphilyon pinned his wings back and plummeted back down to the ground, releasing his choke-like grip on Draciel to avoid injury.

The impact caused the entire stadium to quake. Cracks appeared in the dish and on the surrounding floors. The impact was so great both Enrique and Max were knocked off their feet. Max fell on his backside whilst Enrique threw his hands forward to protect his face. Once the ground stopped shaking, both bladers climbed to their feet.

"Not bad, Enrique," Max said, taking in deep breaths. "But I've endured worse. Draciel, dive!"

Draciel picked himself up off the ground and plunged into the harbour seeking refuge deep in the water. Enrique spat on the floor then wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand. So, Draciel thought he could hide? "Amphilyon, activate special ability now! I didn't plan on using this attack so early on, but you've given me little choice, Max! Earth Power!"

Amphilyon's two heads came together, their forked tongues flicking out tasting the air. The entire ground shook again as the dragon started stomping, sending plumes of dust upwards. To limit visibility, Amphilyon flapped his wings. Dust flew in all directions creating a sandstorm effect. Those in the crowd shielded their eyes.

The funnel continued to rotate and move around the dish, destroying everything in its path. Buildings were torn apart and sucked up into the funnel. Heavier parts were thrown out in various directions. Max was forced to leap out of harm's way as a piece of roof flew towards him. DJ's platform crumbled beneath him and he fell to the ground. The man recovered fine fortunately and scrambled to pick up his microphone.

Max climbed to his feet again. "Draciel!" he bellowed, balling his fists. "Gravity Control!"

The water in the harbour started to rotate. Bits of debris that had flown into the water were slowly sucked into the vortex. Slowly, it began to rise until Max had a funnel of his own. Of course Max was still in the game. He was a top notch blader. One of the best. "Gotta hand it to you, Max. You're a tough opponent. But I can't let you win this battle. There's too much riding on this. Amphilyon, attack!" he roared.

The twin heads gave a thunderous roar before leaping into the air. He beat his wings sending more dust up high. Max threw his hands up to protect his eyes from the sand. "Iron Defence! Stand your ground, Draciel!" he called out into the howling winds. The two funnels moved towards each other. More debris flew in various directions. Enrique had to duck to avoid a piece of the Opera House. He quickly regained his composure and faced the battle. The funnels clashed. Sand vs water. The combined howling of the freight-train sounding funnels was so loud that Enrique couldn't hear the cries of DJ Jazzman. He could hardly hear his own shouts.

A strong gust of wind threw him off his feet, knocking him off the stadium podium. He flew back several metres and landed on his back. A groan escaped his throat. Ouch. That had hurt. He was starting to regret not having brought his suit of armour along. It would've helped absorb a bit of the damage.

"It's a clash of the elements! Sand and water! Draciel and Amphilyon are neck and neck with each other with neither bitbeast holding anything back!"

Eventually, the winds receded as the funnels weakened. With the winds dying down, Enrique climbed back to his feet, taking in deep breaths. What a nice introduction to the world of professional blading when bladers too were physically put to the test. He wiped his brow and glanced down at his blade. Amphilyon was still spinning but so was Draciel. Neither blade was showing any signs of slowing down.

Max rose to his feet, his right hand clutching his left arm. His face scrunched up, an obvious sign he was in pain. It was hard to tell from his position, but Max must've sustained an injury during the windstorm.

"Max!" he heard Rei call out.

"I'm fine, guys. Stay out of this! I have this fight! I will never surrender! Draciel! Final attack!"

Enrique's eyes widened. After all that punishment and Max was still able to carry on fighting. The boy certainly wasn't as fragile as he looked. Max was screaming at the top of his lungs mustering up all the energy he had left to spend. At the rate he was going at now he'd probably lose his voice. Such was the way of a professional blader; scream, yell, shout, roar, bellow… it was all part of the game. Even those with the calmest of natures released the beast inside.

"Amphilyon!"

It all came down to this moment. A clash of the titans. The two blades smashed into each other sending sparks flying. Enrique thought he caught a glimpse of a part of Max's blade coming off. Part of the attack ring perhaps? Despite Max's blade falling apart, he somehow found the will to keep fighting. How did he do it? Couldn't he see Amphilyon was far too powerful?

"Now! Hang on, Draciel! Use Iron Grip!"

Amphilyon had wrestled Draciel into the ground. He had managed to flip the tortoise onto its back and was now currently trying to sink both sets of fangs into the neck, Draciel's only vulnerable spot. Draciel thrust his forelimbs forth and grabbed onto Amphilyon's main neck, digging his claws deep, tearing apart the flesh. Amphilyon screamed. The other head came around to pull the arm away biting into it. Draciel screamed. Max screamed, reflecting his bitbeast's pain. When a bond was so deep both master and bitbeast experienced each other's suffering.

Enrique felt a sting of pain implode in his neck. He tightened his jaw, determined not to show any sign of weakness. The two bitbeasts continued to wrestle. Amphilyon's neck was bleeding, but so was Draciel. Max dropped to his knees. Enrique too felt weariness pour through his body. He dropped down to one knee. His energy levels were dropping. He could feel the fatigue starting to set in.

"Both bladers have used expelled so much energy they're both now on the ground! The bitbeasts remained in a teeth and claw battle, but how much longer can they hold this position?"

The entire crowd was up on their feet. They were certainly getting their money's worth today. That brought a smile to his face. Win or lose, he knew he had given it his best. Maybe with a few more battles under his belt, he could've end this battle earlier, but it was how it was. He could feel Amphilyon's strength rapidly fading. For all of Amphilyon's might and power, two heads consumed far more stamina. Endurance based battles weren't his forte.

"...Draciel has pushed back Amphilyon! Draciel is now back on his feet after showing tremendous strength to survive the ferocious onslaught of Amphilyon's twin destruction! Amphilyon has stopped spinning and the battle goes to Max of the Avengers!"

Amphilyon gave one last mighty roar before collapsing and returning to his blade. "Well done, old friend," Enrique said in between deep breaths. "You did me proud." He rose to his feet, collected his blade then walked around the dish to assist Max. He held out his hand.

Max took it. Enrique hoisted him up. "I won," he said, as if surprised.

"Yeah, you did. We'll have to have another battle sometime. Next time I'll be better prepared."

He smiled. "Thanks for the battle, Enrique. Really, I mean it. That was one of the toughest battles."

"Don't think you're team has won just yet. There's still two more battles to come." Enrique turned his back then returned to his team. Johnny looked disappointed, angry even, but Robert nodded. "I'm sorry, guys. Guess we're still a little underprepared for this."

"You could've finished him early on, Enrique! What the hell were you thinking? You were holding back!" Johnny accused.

"Just drop it, Johnny." He turned to Robert. "The second match is yours. Win it so we still have our chances kept alive. The pressure is all on you now." He retreated to the bench and sat down. If anyone could win when their backs were pressed against the wall, it was Robert.

.

If there was one thing she didn't like about Australia it was that it was stinking hot. Apparently, it was supposed to be winter now, yet it felt like summer. The humidity was ridiculous. She was sweating! Not to mention the sun burned like a hot iron rod pressed against flesh. Good thing beybattles weren't done outside.

Brooklyn was equally as grumpy. He claimed the humidity was messing up with his hair. Thankfully, they weren't too far from an air-conditioned building. Only Garland seemed undisturbed from the weather. "Oh look Garland, an ice-cream stall! Please can we get one?" Ming Ming begged. "I'm dying from this heat!"

Garland nodded, and handed her a few coins. "Go on. Buy what you want."

She smiled. "Thanks Garland." She hurried over to the ice-cream stall and examined the flavours. Mint. Gross. Vanilla. Plain. Choc-chip. Not bad. Rainbow flavoured. Oo, that sounded appetizing. She grabbed two scoops of rainbow flavoured, paid the man and rejoined her friends. _Much better,_ she thought as she licked the ice cream.

"Right. Now we need to catch a taxi to reach the Melbourne Entertainment Centre. Apparently you can take buses there but I wouldn't have a clue which one to take. The Bai Hu Clan are battling tomorrow so hopefully we can find him and convince Mystel to drop out before the battle," Garland said, reaching for his phone to dial a cab. "You two wait under that tree. I'll just make a quick call."

Ming Ming and Brooklyn walked over to stand beneath a Jacaranda tree. Unfortunately, the tree was losing its flowers due to it being autumn here in Melbourne. In another month or two, the tree would be bare before the sprouting new flowers again in September. "These flowers are so pretty," she said, glancing upwards. One of the said flowers landed on Brooklyn's head. She laughed then reached up to remove it. "It clashes with your hair colour."

"Thought you'd say that."

While Garland talked on the phone (or tried to – it looked like he was struggling to get a response), Ming Ming and Brooklyn sat down at the base of the tree. The flight had been a long one and she had been unable to get a single moment's rest. The downfall of flying economy. Garland had naturally managed to sleep the entire way, but at least Brooklyn hadn't either. That made two grumpy bladers.

"…Brooklyn? Ming Ming?"

At the mention of her name, she jerked upwards. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced in the direction of the source and spotted Mystel standing a few feet away. Brooklyn surged to his feet. Ming Ming soon followed. "Mystel!" she said.

"What are you doing here?"

No hellos. Not even a warm greeting. Was he behind watched? He looked stressed. "I could ask the same thing of you, Mystel," Brooklyn drawled. "We know you abandoned ship. Where are the rest of your buddies hiding?"

"You shouldn't be here. You need to leave."

"You can't tell us to bugger off, Mystel."

Mystel clenched his jaw. "Yeah? Well I'm telling you now. You're not welcome."

A woman approached. Her long black hair fell down in cascading curls on her back, her dark eyes alight. "Are these people troubling you, Mystel?" she said, placing a hand on Mystel's right shoulder. "I can make them go away."

"They're my former teammates," Mystel answered. "Do what you want with them. I've got a battle to practice for." He turned his back and walked off to join some other male with black shaggy hair.

Ming Ming couldn't believe it. That was so rude of him. "And who are you?" Ming Ming challenged, annoyed.

"The name is Dohna. You must be Ming Ming, the diva popstar I've had the pleasure of never listening to." She then fixed her dark eyes on Brooklyn. "And you're Brooklyn. I've heard a lot about you. You don't look well. Having trouble sleeping?"

"That's none of your business," he replied heatedly. "We're not here for you."

With a roll of her eyes, she twirled a lock of hair around a finger. "So you came all this way to track down your former teammate? You must be the one who intervened back in Japan. The owner of Zeus." She then smiled. "Your trip is in vain. Mystel is one of us – his loyalty has always been with the clan that made him who he is today."

"You're wrong," Ming Ming hissed. "He's our friend."

"Mystel, dear, did you hear that? Your pitiful friends have come here to 'save' you. How adorable."

The blond stopped in his path and looked back, his expression unreadable. "We're not friends. Now seriously, could you lot just leave? You're ruining my focus."

Dohna smiled sweetly. "You heard him. Leave or you'll be made to regret it." Ming Ming spotted her blade peeking out just beneath the cloth of her shirt. The bitchip wasn't empty. It looked like some sort of rhinoceros type creature. A woolly rhino reminiscent of the Ice Age. A very old bitbeast. Probably one of the first few known in all of creation.

Ming Ming tugged on Brooklyn's shirt. A battle wouldn't be wise especially with Brooklyn experiencing problems with his blade. Sometimes the smartest thing to do was to flee and fight another day. "It's not worth it. Let's just get to our hotel. We'll deal with these creeps another time."

"Yeah… you're right," Brooklyn said. Thank Venus he had agreed to drop it. Garland surely wouldn't be too thrilled to know they had gotten themselves into a fight just an hour short of landing. She led Brooklyn away ignoring Dohna's snarky comments. "He's going to wish he had never said that."

"You have an idea?"

Nodding, he turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, I do, and he's not going to like it very much."

She didn't like the gleam in his eyes, but kept silent. Hopefully, it was just a conversation and not a battle. She followed Brooklyn back to Garland who had been oblivious to everything that had just happened. "Did you organize a cab because I'm not walking," Ming Ming stated.

"It'll be here shortly." Frowning, he added, "Did I miss something?"

"Just some fans," Brooklyn said. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

He walked over to the curbside and waited. Garland looked at Ming Ming as if expecting an explanation, but Ming Ming just shrugged. "Just fans. Nothing more to it."

.

Max's victory against Enrique had everyone on their feet giving the bladers a standing ovation for a truly fantastic match. Normally, he'd be with his friends and congratulating his friend too, but his heart wasn't in it. All thoughts were focused on the events of the previous day involving both Alexander and Hiro.

Only one question was on his mind. 'Why?' Hiro claimed weakness was the reason he had left Tyson, but that couldn't be true. Why would Hiro purposefully hurt him like this? His own brother? Did Hiro ever actually care? Was he so ashamed of being related to him that he turned his back on him for a third time?

He heard his name called out by DJ Jazzman. Slowly, he climbed to his feet and walked to the stadium, nodding at the comments his friends were making. He tuned their voices out, but their mouths moving. Best to play it safe and just nod along. He walked up the stairs and stood across from Robert.

"If you're just tuning in folks you just missed out on one heck of a match between Enrique and Max! Max did walk away with the victory putting the Avengers on one point. They need to win another match if they wish to advance to the semis and who better than Tyson to see them through? Or will Robert obtain victory for his team?" DJ Jazzman motioned to the people upstairs to reveal the next dish. "The next dish our bladers will be battling in is King's Canyon!"

The floor opened up revealing the new dish. The blading space was narrow in this one. There were four winding paths in between the canyons that connected with each other leaving no room for a wide open space to blade in. He looked up. Robert seemed surprised, but not concerned. A true blader could adapt to any dish.

"To make things more challenging for our bladers, a dust devil will be automatically generated every couple of minutes, mustering up powerful winds to send down the pathways. This will push the blades towards the dish's end. If bladers can't withstand the winds, they'll be blown right off course."

An environmental hazards dish which pitted wind against wind. The tight spaces would also make it hard since the slightest of mistakes would push him into the canyon's walls. He'd have to send his blade up the side and onto the surface of the canyon if he wanted some open space. The twisting paths weren't devoid of any danger either – there were numerous trees and fallen rocks in the way.

"Bladers, are you ready?"

Tyson took in a deep breath and loaded his blade onto his launcher. He inserted the trigger and waited for the countdown.

"Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!"

He yanked back on the cord. His blade shot forwards into the canyon and landed a few inches away from Griffolyon. Sand whipped up around both their blades straight away. "Attack, Dragoon!" Tyson ordered. Dragoon obeyed and sped forwards ramming into Griffolyon, pushing the bigger blade into the cliff side.

Parts of the cliff crumbled from the force of the impact. Bits of rock crashed down on both their blades. "Griffolyon, rise!" Robert ordered his bitbeast to emerge. A large chunk of the cliff fell apart as the hybrid bitbeast appeared. The griffon reared on his hind legs and swiped a claw at Dragoon sending Tyson's blade back several metres.

"Dragoon! Come out and play!" His blade lit up and a column of blue light burst from the centre. Moments later, Dragoon revealed itself as the light dimmed. The two bitbeasts looked at each other. "Attack!" Dragoon roared, lowered his head then rammed into the bigger bitbeast's stomach.

"Counter attack!" Griffolyon planted his rear legs into the ground then beat his wings to keep him steady as the bitbeast pushed back using his fore talons. Tyson winced as sand entered his eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hands, Tyson yelled out another command.

"Dragoon, hang on!"

"Griffolyon, Call of Lightning!" Griffolyon had a lightning attack? Robert must've taught his bitbeast something new. His bitbeast slashed at Dragoon's face, prompting a pained roar to leave his mouth. Dragoon staggered back and retaliated and slashed back. "Now!"

The ceiling of the stadium opened up revealing dark menacing clouds above. Flashes of lightning lit up the darkened sky. Rumbles of thunder followed soon afterwards. A non-natural storm that was somehow more intimidating than a real one. Multiple bolts of lightning crashed down to the ground. Some trees were struck. In turn, they burst into flames.

"Tyson, come on man, attack!"

"What are you doing, Tyson? Use Dragoon to counter!"

His teammates were yelling battle plans at him. They were worried. They could see he was losing. But what was the point? Dragoon was taking a beating out there. Griffolyon was using him like a punch bag. A talon to the face. A kick to the stomach. Each strike pushed him into the canyon wall. "Dragoon, use Gravity Turbo Twister!"

"I was wondering when you would start blading, Tyson. Are you scared?" Robert said.

"I'm not afraid. Dragoon! Now!" Dragoon roared up at the sky, managed to pry himself free of the griffon's hold then whipped up a powerful funnel of his own. The funnel, his trademark move, sucked in the trees and fallen rocks around him.

"Two can play that game, Tyson! You're not the only master of the wind! Griffolyon, show him what we have learned since we last battled! Use Storm of Vengeance!" Griffolyon's massive bulk made it easier for the bitbeast to stay its ground. He pulled his wings back and released a high-pitched screech. Tyson could only watch in bewilderment as the stadium shook violently. The cracks from the previous fight only deepened. Tyson was knocked off his feet as a blast of wind swept through the valley.

Robert wasn't done yet. The bolts of lightning stopped, but the thunder remained. The wind continued to strengthen, his own hair whipping around his face. Dragoon was pushed further back along the valley, moving closer to the edge. His own funnel was moving dangerously close to Tyson's position.

He clenched his jaw and threw his arms up before him forming an 'x' shape. Bending his knees slightly, he planted his feet firmly in the ground and did his best to withstand the wind. His teammates were screaming at him, but he couldn't hear them properly thanks to the roaring storm before him.

A blast of wind struck him in the stomach throwing him over the side of the edge. He landed on the stadium floor on his backside then looked up. There was a funnel there now and it was on fire. Somehow, Robert had used the environment to his advantage to counter Tyson's trademark attack. The dust devils that roamed the valleys were now on fire. Unbelievable, really.

The dish's foundations started to crumble. The tops of the canyons fell apart sending down large rocks plummeting to the bottom. Every time a rock landed, the entire stadium shook violently.

"If Robert's idea is to destroy the dish, then he's doing incredibly well!" DJ exclaimed, climbing to his feet. "So far it's all been total domination by Robert and his Griffolyon bitbeast! Does Tyson have what it takes to counter or will he be blown away?"

" _You're weak, Tyson," he heard Hiro's voice._

Was Hiro right? Was he weak? Maybe he was. Maybe that's why Hiro had abandoned him as a kid – he was too weak to be considered a worthy sibling. What of the previous tournaments? Had he been right about that too? That the only reason he had claimed the top prize because he was surrounded by stronger opponents?

Hiro's second betrayal had happened at a time when Tyson needed him most. And now, Hiro had betrayed him again for similar reasons. Weakness. Maybe Hiro did hate him. Maybe that's why he kept leaving because the sight of Tyson sickened him. He dropped down to the ground and looked ahead. Dragoon was slowing rapidly unable to combat Griffolyon's brutal attacks.

He was supposed to be stronger than this! Yet he was blading like an amateur and the entire world could see it. Last year the pressure had gotten to him. This year the cold hard truth had been given to him by his own brother. A loser. A weakling. A washed up champion undeserving of the trophies in his cabinet. Hiro was right. He wasn't worthy enough to be blading in this stadium. No wonder Hiro had left his side – this performance alone was enough to even sicken himself.

Another powerful gust struck him and he was thrown back. Rather than help himself up, he remained on the ground, staring listlessly up at the ceiling as his blade sailed past him. The crowd had fallen quiet – stunned silence. His teammates were calling out to him, but he chose to ignore them. A loss and a well-deserved one it was.

After several moments, Tyson sat up. Robert looked disappointed, as if he had personally been let down, and his teammates, namely Kai, looked frustrated. The crowd waited for DJ to declare the winner before bursting into a round of applause. He glanced down at his blade besides him then picked it up.

"I'm sorry Dragoon. I let you down… I'm not strong enough," he whispered.

"What the hell happened out there, Tyson?" Kai demanded, sauntering over with Max and Rei flanking him.

"Take it easy, Kai," Max said, concerned. "Anyone could lose to Robert."

Kai shook his head and glared down at him. "That was pathetic, Tyson."

"Kai, relax, we haven't lost this yet," Rei said. "We still have a match to go and I can beat Johnny."

"It's Tyson's first match. He's just warming up," Max said. "He didn't do that poorly."

"It's not good enough, Max."

Tyson climbed to his feet, defensive rage rising. "What do you want me to say, Kai? That I'm sorry that I screwed up big-time? If you want me to quit the team then I will! I'm sorry that I'm 'pathetic', and I'm sorry that I'm too weak to be a part of this team! You want all the glory for yourself? Then go ahead! It's yours!" He threw his Dragoon blade at Kai's chest. Kai caught it. "Hiro was right. I'm holding you guys back. I'm the weak link in this team, and it would be better for you all if I just left."

Turning his back, he stormed off, hands deep in his pockets, head low. As he returned to his room, he caught a glimpse of Hiro in the hallway, a smirk plastered on his face.

.

Tyson had lost a battle he should've won. That wasn't to say Robert wasn't a powerful blader, but Tyson had bested Kai, Max and himself – the best bladers in the world. What thoughts could possibly be running through his mind? Something must've happened recently that put doubt in his mind. Thanks to Tyson's surprise loss, the team were now hanging by a thread, and it wasn't going to get any easier.

His opponent, Johnny, was already in position, a confident smirk on his face. Max clapped him on the shoulder. "You can do this Rei." Kai didn't speak – he didn't have to. One look said it all – you better win this or else. If looks could kill… Kenny also didn't speak. The poor boy had his fingernails in his mouth. Even his teammates were on edge.

Without speaking himself, Rei made his way to the dish. He looked down at his blade. "I don't know what happened with Tyson, but victory falls upon us, Driger. I believe in you. We can win this. We have to." After witnessing what the Horsemen were capable of, he knew only his team could stop them.

"And we're down to the final round, boys and girls! This battle will determine who goes through and who will be saying goodbye to their hopes of winning the trophy for another year! If you're just tuning in, Max defeated Enrique and Tyson suffered a shock loss to Robert! All the pressure now falls on Rei and Johnny to keep their finals hopes alive!" DJ Jazzman said.

Johnny loaded his blade. "You know Rei, why don't you do us all a favour and just give up now to avoid further embarrassment?"

Let the trash talking begin. In his younger and less experienced days, he would've fired back with a comment of his own, but that's exactly what Johnny wanted. "If you're hoping to get a rise out of me then you're going to be sorely mistaken, Johnny. I'll let my blade do the talking." He loaded his Driger blade onto his launcher then inserted the ripcord. It all came down to this.

"The final dish is a replica of the Blue Mountains, one of the many tourist hotspots here in Sydney!" He waited a few seconds as the floors opened up to reveal the final dish. "This dish is designed to test the endurance of our bladers as they battle on the cliff tops and weave in and out of the Three Sisters."

A smile spread across his lips. Perfect. It was like being back in his hometown village. All those long hours of blading on the hills were finally going to pay off. Driger was born for this environment. He looked at Johnny. His confident smirk had wavered slightly. Even better. How would a bulky overgrown lizard like Salamalyon adapt to an environment like this?

"Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!"

"Go Driger!"

"Salamalyon!"

The blades flew towards the centre of the dish and collided, the impact creating a powerful shockwave. Cracks made from the previous two battles deepened. How it was all managing to hold was surprising. Smart engineering. "Driger, use Gattling Claw!" Rei ordered, as his blade circled around the First Sister in hot pursuit of Johnny's blade.

"Fire Rod!" Johnny wasted no time summoning his bitbeast. As with the other Majestic bitbeasts, Johnny's one towered over his Driger. The lizard opened its mouth and spewed forth abhorrent purple flames. Fortunately, Driger was agile enough to avoid each one, but his rival had done its job. The trees in the dish were set alight and the smoke from the flames restricted his visibility.

If he couldn't see well then Driger couldn't either. He squeezed his eyes shut to protect them from the smoke. One of the first skills taught to a blader of the White Tiger Hills was to use your ears as much as your eyes as relying on just one sense was for the foolish and naive. He remembered blading against Lee with a blindfold once.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he focused on the battle ahead, listening for a cry from his opponent's bitbeast. _Where are you, Salamalyon?_ Driger had fallen silent. The tiger was in stealth mode now, most likely laying flat on the ground waiting for the order to strike. Nothing. No footsteps. Just the crackling of leaves burning.

Then… a low hissing sound to his left. Only a trained ear could pick up on it. "Driger, to your left! Use Gattling Claw!" Although he couldn't see it through the haze of the smoke, he knew his bitbeast had landed his target thanks to a hiss of pain and a crumbling of rock hitting the ground. When a tiger latched onto its prey, it was hard to throw off. Johnny was going to learn this the hard way.

"So, you think you've got the best of me, Rei? Let me show something new. Most people wrongly assume my bitbeast is a lizard because of his appearance, but Salamalyon is actually part of the amphibian family meaning my bitbeast can secrete toxins from his skin. Don't tigers normally latch onto their prey with their teeth as their primary weapon?"

Not scientifically a lizard then, but it certainly looked like one. Amphibians usually stayed near water to prevent their skin from drying out. Bitbeasts didn't normally follow the exact same rules as their animal counterparts, but Salamalyon had to have a similar weakness. Maybe Johnny finished his battles as quickly as possible because Salamaylon didn't have the endurance? That would explain why he went after Kai with such force in their first battle, and why his style was so aggressive. Salamaylon couldn't stay out of his blade for too long. That was his weakness.

"Driger, release!" Driger released his grip on his opponent's neck. His tiger uttered a deep growl. Toxins had entered his bloodstream. Rei tightened his jaw. He hadn't planned on the toxins moving that quickly, but it mattered not. "You're tough, Johnny. I'll give you that much, but I can't let you win today. There's too much at stake."

"Funny you mention that, Rei. I was just about to say the same thing. Salamalyon, attack!" His bitbeast swatted a claw, catching Driger in the side of the face. He saw his tiger sail through the haze right into the mountain side. Bits of rock loosened and crashed down. One rock struck Driger in the left ribcage. A pained growled filled the air. "We learned the merits of teamwork, Rei. We have you to thank for that and it's for that reason why we are here today battling for our friends. We could've pulled out – but we're not cowards. We never turn away from a battle regardless of our chances of victory."

Driger was struck again. Rei could just make out his bitbeast's form through the haze. He could also just make out the hulking outline of Salamalyon. He shut his eyes and focused his thoughts on Driger. Nothing else mattered right now. The cries of the crowd could no longer be heard. The words of encouragement from his friends were forced aside. Only Driger mattered.

"Driger, I need you to climb skywards!"

"What do you think you're playing at, Rei? You think just running away is going to help you win? I didn't come here to play runaway – I came here to blade like a champion, not an amateur. Salamalyon!" His creature released a thunderous roar spewing out some abhorrent purple cloud of gas. The cloud doused out the fire and the haze itself returning the visibility to normal once again. "Attack, Salamalyon!"

"Driger, climb!" Driger jumped up the side of the mountain and started making his way to the top. Salamalyon, unable to climb, settled for circling the base of the first Sister and threw purple orbs of fire at him. Years of climbing hills and avoiding tumbling rocks made Salamalyon's attacks that much easier to avoid. If hit, it was a long way down to the bottom and it would surely be the end of the match.

"So you think you can keep on running?" Johnny jeered. "You think you can hide up on the mountains? Think again, Rei. Salamalyon! Bring those mountains down!" The salamander roared again then slammed his tail into the mountain's base. Immediately, cracks appeared as the ground shook. Driger dug his claws deep into the ground to keep himself steady then continued to climb to the peak.

The mountains continued to shake. Every time Salamalyon's tail connected with the mountainside, a little more of the terrain would crumble. A few more strikes like that and there would be no mountain and Rei would lose any advantage he had. "Hold on, Driger! You're almost there!" Just a few more metres then Driger would be in the right position to counter attack.

"One more time Salamalyon! Give it everything you have!"

The impact was enough to knock Rei off his feet. He quickly regained his composure and glanced up looking for Driger. He found his tiger hanging off the side, his powerful jaw clamping on the ledge. "Driger!" Seeming reenergized from hearing his name, Driger somehow managed to clamber back onto the ledge. The tiger gazed down and roared at his opponent who was still circling the base.

"You've battled well Rei, but now play time is over! Salamalyon, use Final Attack!" A circle of fire appeared around the bitbeast burning everything it came into contact with that was flammable. Embers floated in the air as the flames danced from tree to tree, leaf to leaf. The ground shook again, a big chunk of rock loosened and tumbled down the mountain, splintering into pieces upon impact.

Rei threw his arms up to shield himself from the dirt. "Driger, we need to end this now! Use Sunbeam!" His new special attack reserved for moments like this. The move could only be used once and timing was everything since his bitbeast would be left entirely vulnerable afterwards. Opening his jaws wide, the tiger roared up at the now open ceiling. Sunlight poured on the dish below. Driger drew in the sunlight into his jaws as if charging an attack. Once fully charged, he released it, sending the blast forward towards his rival. "You might have fire on your side, but nothing burns brighter than the sun itself."

There was no escape. Not even hiding behind one of the three remaining Sisters would help. There was no hiding from the sun.

"…and Rei's Driger makes a startling comeback by using the power of the sun! I've been watching battles for years but I've never seen anything like this before!"

The look on Johnny's face said it all. He had not been expecting this. He couldn't do anything but stand in place and watch as his bitbeast was blasted by the beam. The force of the blast was so powerful that his Salamalyon was pushed several feet into the ground. Unable to withstand the fury of the sun, the stadium dish splintered. The Three Sisters collapsed, and the both bladers were engulfed with a dust cloud.

When the dust settled, Rei glanced down at the remains of the dish. There was a giant hole, almost as big as the dish itself, in the middle. Burnt trees and fallen rocks littered the ground around the hole. But where were the blades? He searched the dish, straining his ears, listening for the sounds of the mechanical whir of his blade.

Then he heard it. A growling noise. He immediately turned his head towards the source of the noise and found his Driger lying on his side. Alive, and exhausted, but at least his blade was still spinning. Just. As for Salamalyon, the blade had been thrown out of the dish. It was still spinning, but rules stated once the blade was out of the dish, it was game over. A lucky escape.

"…wow!" DJ exclaimed into the microphone. "Johnny's blade has been knocked right out of the dish following that powerful beam from Rei's Driger! Both blades are still spinning, but they both must be in the dish! Unfortunately for Johnny, Salamalyon was knocked out." DJ extended an arm outwards towards Rei. "Victory goes to Rei of the Avengers! With Rei's win, that allows the Avengers to pass into the semi finals where they will battle the victor between the Demolition Boys and the All Stars!

Rei hadn't even left the dish when Max came up from behind to congratulate him. Kenny and Kai were close behind. "You did it, Rei!"

"Yeah, we did." Turning back around, he held out a hand to retrieve his blade. Glancing down, he examined his blade for any signs of damage. "But it came at a cost," he added, noticing his attack ring had been completely destroyed. Salamalyon's flames had melted it. There was probably some internal damage too.

"Kenny can fix it."

"I'm not going to be able to blade in the next match." Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but with Tyson's recent display, it was concerning. "What do you think, Kenny?" He handed his blade to the expert.

Kenny took it and looked it over. "The attack ring can't be repaired. The metal has melted, and I'd say the internal parts are ruined too. We'll have to build a new blade entirely," he replied, running a hand around the melted attack ring. "I can do it, but it won't be ready in time for the semis."

"I'm out guys," Rei said.

"Which means we have no choice but to have Tyson blade," Kai concluded grimly. "I don't know if he's capable of blading at this level at this time."

"He'll pull through," Max said. "This is Tyson we're talking about. If anyone can overcome an internal problem, it's Tyson. He might've lost the battle today, but that's no reason to lose faith in him. Come on guys. He's not just a teammate – he's our friend and he needs our support."

Kenny nodded. "Max is right. We shouldn't be judging Tyson for one battle. He didn't blade poorly. He just lost concentration near the end and it threw him off course."

Kai didn't look too convinced, but then again, did Kai ever look satisfied? He drew in a deep breath and spoke, expressing his inner thoughts. The adrenaline of the battle had faded and now it was time to focus on what truly mattered – friendship. "They're right, Kai. I know you want us to succeed and perform at the highest of standards, but health comes first. Whatever problem Tyson is facing – we can't just abandon him. You guys were there for me when I had problems with Lee. We were there for Max during the whole All-Stars saga. We were also there for you Kai when you needed it. We are the Bladebreakers with a new name, but that doesn't mean we forget who we are."

"…I'll talk to him later then. Give him a bit of space to cool down and clear his mind," Kai said.

"He'll come through it. I know he will," Max said. "And he'll be stronger because of it. The other teams better watch out because they're not going to know what's hit them. Now come on, let's head back to the room and watch over our battles. Last one there has to buy pizza." Before anyone could stop him, Max sprinted off back to the dressing room.

With a roll of his eyes, Kai said, "…Didn't we have pizza yesterday?"

"It's either that or those weird mushrooms again," Rei pointed out.

"…Good point."


	20. Divide and Conquer

Thanks to unaisa memon and Drazilla for reviewing the previous chapter.

 **.**

 **Chapter Nineteen: Divide and Conquer**

Tyson continued to run down the hallway, weaving in and out between passer bys, desperate to get out from the building. Someone called out his name, but he just kept running. There was a news report running on one of the ceiling televisions. Brad Best and AJ Topper were recapping today's battles and they focused their discussion solely on him and his loss to Robert.

Too much. Why couldn't they all just give him a little space to breathe? Did everyone always have to focus on his actions? Did they have to make it such a big deal? But Tyson, you are the reigning champion. It's only natural people are going to focus on you, a voice said deep inside. "Just leave me alone!" he bellowed, tears stinging his eyes.

He continued to run until he reached the security exit. Pushing open the doors, he ran outside and continued until he could run no further. Lungs burning and legs aching, Tyson collapsed onto his knees and punched the ground, tears flowing down his cheeks. He was outside now and sitting on the pavement. Fortunately, there was no one else around. Everyone was inside enjoying themselves.

Nothing but a loser. The world champion once again shown up big time on the global stage. Losing a battle in the first elimination round. He bladed like an amateur. He squeezed his eyes shut, but when he did all he could see was Hiro's gloating face and his laughter ringing in his ears. "Get out of my head! You're lying! I'm not unworthy!" he exclaimed, yelling at the ground as if it would somehow make him feel better.

But if he was worthy then why would Hiro, his brother, turn his back on him, not once, not twice, but a third time? That face. The expression of repulsion in Hiro's face hadn't been a figment of his imagination. The scorn and malice in his tone was very real. He was nothing but a disappointment in the eyes of the brother he had admired for so long. A living failure. A disgrace. Unworthy.

"Tyson?"

Hilary. He could hear that voice from a mile away. Why had she come? He didn't even bother to lift his head. He didn't want to show her the weakness on his face. She'd think ill of him too probably and he couldn't bear for anyone else to look at him with such disappointment. Taking in a deep breath, he said, "If you have come to belittle me then you're wasting my time. I don't want to hear it."

He felt her presence besides him. Naturally. Hilary was persistent and driven by a need to help others, but she couldn't help him. No one could. "I was checking to see if you were all right," she said softly, placing a hand on his left shoulder, as if to provide some form of comfort.

He flinched then jerked his arm away, unnerved. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You can't fool me Tyson. You're hurt."

Was it really that obvious? He supposed so. After all, he had just left his teammates without uttering a single word to them. "I suppose they're all inside talking about how much of a failure I am," he said in a low voice, desperately trying to keep his voice steady as to not give away too much of what he was feeling inside.

"You're not a failure, Tyson."

He squeezed his eyes shut, still refusing to lift his head. "I lost the battle that I should've won… And now they're all talking about me. The media. The fans. My own teammates. They think I'm weak… And they're right." He would never have become champion if not for his teammates. They were so much stronger than him. He was the weak link in the team. "I need to be strong more than ever, but I'm not. I can't… I just…" His voice quavered.

He felt her hand on his shoulder again. This time, he didn't shake it off. "I don't know who told you that, but you're not weak, Tyson. You never were."

Using the back of his right hand, he wiped the tears from his eyes then looked at her. How? That was the only question on his mind. How could she believe in that when it was so obvious he was useless to everyone and unwanted by all? "…I don't understand. How can you believe in me after what you witnessed today? Don't you understand? I _have_ to be the best for the team. I _have_ to."

"But why do you have to be the best?"

"I'm…" Words failed him. Why indeed? "...I'm the champion and it's my responsibility to prove it over and over again. I defeated Tala. I defeated Zeo. I defeated Brooklyn. And now we face something else entirely and I… I can't be the champion people want me to be. I can't be the one every kid wants to be because I'm not a true champion. I have the title, but what does it truly mean?"

All it said was one thing – that he had won some tournament out of sheer luck. He saw the posts on the boards from his doubters. People who explained why Kai deserved to be the one true champion because he was a better blader. Tyson couldn't argue with them; they were right. What had he done to prove to anyone that he deserved the trophy over his friends who had triumphed over tougher obstacles?

"…I don't deserve the title… I've done nothing to prove that I do… Every battle that I've fought I did not do alone…" He shut his eyes again and looked away, ashamed. But he couldn't stop. Not now. The tears had already spilled. "…I want to be someone people can look up to… To be the hero people want… To be the hero you hear about in legends… But I'm not that guy. I'm just another chump who thought he could be remembered." A bitter laugh escaped him. "Even my own brother can see it."

"You listen to me, Tyson. You are _not_ weak and don't you dare believe it." Her hold tightened. "You are the hardest working blader that I know of and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. You overcome every obstacle that comes your way even when the odds are stacked against you. You fight for a world that is worth saving when others would simply give up. If that is not the definition of 'hero' then I don't know what is."

Amazing. Hilary _believed_ in him. Despite their irrational arguments and their insults, she still saw something in him she valued. She still had the faith that he could overcome this. She saw him as something he didn't think he was – a hero of legends. He looked at her again. "… You believe in me."

"Of course I do, you idiot," she said, drawing a hand back. "I have stood by you for _years_ even when you've given me no reason to. I had many chances to turn my back and walk away, but I stayed at your side because I… because you're my friend and friends stick by each other through thick and thin. You're never going to get rid of me, Tyson. I'll only leave if you tell me too."

He hadn't failed to notice how her voice had faltered briefly, but she had recollected herself well and carried on as if nothing had happened. Did she… No. Of course not. He just happened to be the first guy who ever paid her any attention. "You're not ashamed."

"Aren't you listening to a single word I'm speaking?" She looked at him as if he had suddenly grown horns out of his head. "I would never be ashamed of you. Annoyed, angry even… but never ashamed." Her hand moved from his shoulder to his hand. Slender fingers clasped around his own. In a softly spoken she added, "You can't be a hero to everyone… but you're a hero to me."

Tyson didn't have anything to say to that. He just looked at her, speechless. His mind was still struggling to understand her undying belief in him. It wasn't as if he had been kind to her over the years. Often it was Kai who stepped in to calm her down and make things right. "…Did anyone ever tell you that you are insane?"

Still, he smiled for the first time that day. Maybe things weren't as grim as he had thought him to be. Hiro might be disappointed, but Hilary didn't share the same view. His teammates… His friends… They were still present. He could see them now approaching him, no anger nor disappointment on their faces. Perhaps… He climbed to his feet.

"I won the fight," Rei said. "We're going through to the semis, but I can't blade in that round. My Driger blade needs to be made again."

"You'll need me to blade then."

Max nodded. "You were never in doubt, Tyson. I was going to sit out for the next round, but I'm needed."

He looked to Kai. Kai nodded. "We all lose, Tyson, but our losses makes us stronger. We're just fortunate that it happened in round one." Not entirely positive but that was typical Kai. "Look, the loss happened, but that's in the past now. We have to look to the future and whether you believe it or not, you're still the strongest blader on this team."

"The Demolition Boys next then," Tyson remarked.

"Yeah… the All-Stars are skilled bladers, but the Demolition Boys have the hunger the Americans lack," Kai said.

"What's the battling order?" Max said. "I'm happy to blade first again."

"I imagine it's going to be the same line up we battled against in Moscow all those long years ago," Kenny explained, looking up from the brochure. "Spencer and Bryan haven't done much blading since then but I would say we should win this comfortably."

"The Demolition Boys weren't exactly impressive last year," said Rei.

Kai shook his head. "We shouldn't underestimate them. Tala and his teammates have something to prove this year and they're not going to hold anything back. Max can blade first. He'll probably battle Spencer. Tyson to face Bryan. I want to take on Tala myself. We have a score to settle so I'll blade last."

He suspected Kai's relationship with his former team had fallen apart during the later stages of the tournament. Why else would Kai be so eager to battle against Tala? But that was fine with Tyson. He wasn't the only one with personal demons to conquer. They were looking at him, waiting for a response. He nodded. "That's fine."

"We all need to be careful," Rei started. "I was hospitalized after the battle against Bryan."

"And Tyson got trapped in a big iceberg with Tala," Max pointed out.

"You think they'll be up to their same old tricks again?" Kenny said.

Everyone looked to Kai. "It's hard to say, but we should be on our guard. Desperation can make a man dangerous."

"Sound advice," Max said, turning to look at Hilary and before facing the rest of the group again. "Say… you two want some pizza? Kenny paid for it. We've got a box left over still if you want it."

The pain of the loss to Robert had lessened. Yes, it was still there, and it hurt, but he knew he wasn't alone. His teammates still wanted him on the team despite the loss. They still saw value in him and that alone was enough to continue fighting. Not to mention Hilary's words to him. The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a smile as he reflected. _"You can't be a hero to everyone… but you're a hero to me."_

"I'm sorry, did I say something funny?" Kai said.

"Maybe he's thinking about the pizza," Rei teased.

"Thanks guys, honestly," Tyson answered, his smile fading. "I wouldn't be here without any of you. You've all stuck by my side for years, put up with my insults and endured my tantrums, and I think that makes you all champions. You've all been there for me when I've been down. Now it's my turn to give back and ensure we make it to the end." He stuck his left hand out before him. "United we are one, divided we will fall."

Max placed his hand on top. "I hear you, Tyson. Nothing will ever undo our spirit."

Rei followed suit, placing his hand on top of Max's. "Whatever obstacle stands in our path, we will overcome it."

"Everything we've learned over the years comes down to these final two rounds," Kenny said, adding his hand. Hilary followed shortly afterwards. They all looked to Kai who still hadn't joined in. "Aren't you going to join us?"

He looked hesitant. Probably thought this pre-battle cheer thing was a little cheesy. "You know, sometimes I regret being part of the team again…" Much to his surprise, Kai actually placed a hand in the pile. "…But I'm truly proud to be part of the Avengers. I wouldn't want it any other way. This tournament is ours to win."

.

Bryan walked along the path at South Bank by passing the big wheel. Kids were running around and chasing each other in circles on the grass whilst the parents sat on blankets organizing picnics. A typical family outing. One he never got to experience as a child. Turning his head away, he crossed the side of the road. This side of the street was home to many various restaurants.

Distracted, he walked down reading all the names as his stomach gave a soft growl. The message was clear. Time to eat and quick. But where to go? He didn't recognize any of these names. He didn't consider himself a coward by no means, but dining at a place with food items he wasn't familiar with made him a little uneasy.

"…watch it!"

Startled, he whipped his head around and noticed a female on the ground. Having been distracted by the food shops, he had walked right into another person, successfully knocking her over with his bulk physique. Wait. He recognized this girl. Aqua hair. Short and lean. Dark skin. "Ming Ming?"

She climbed to her feet, dusting her skirt off with both hands. He probably should've helped her up onto her feet, but she seemed perfectly capable of doing that. Besides, what if she took offense? She glared at him as if expecting something, but Bryan just looked on confused. What did she want? A medal? Money?

"Fancy bumping into you here all alone."

"The same can be said for you," Bryan replied.

"Brooklyn and Garland are checking out the pool room at the hotel. I came here alone to get some fresh air."

It dawned on Bryan that it must be difficult being the only female on a team of males. He tried to think of something to say, but his mind came up with blank. The last time he had crossed paths with BEGA it hadn't ended on a pleasant note. Did Ming Ming still harbour ill feelings towards him in regards to what he had done to Brooklyn? Maybe it was best not to mention it.

What would Tala do in this situation? Wait. Why was he even thinking that? Why would it matter what Tala would do if alone with a girl? It wasn't like Tala had much experience with the ladies either. In fact, all the Demolition Boys had little experience when conversing with the opposite gender. He blamed Boris for that. No girls in the Abbey because girls were a distraction from beyblading.

"…Know of any good places to eat?" Bryan started. At least he didn't start with the weather. Even an Abbey boy knew to never start a conversation about the weather with another person. "I'm hungry."

Ming Ming shrugged. "There's a nice chocolate place down the street."

Chocolate for lunch. Not the healthiest option, but he wasn't going to complain. Besides, chocolate was nice. "Okay." He started walking. To his surprise, Ming Ming followed him, managing to keep up with his pace. A few blading fans walked by. He could tell they were fans because they had shirts on with text saying, 'Beyblade Tournament 2016'. One of them took a quick photo of them and sniggered.

"Big match tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Blading against the All-Stars."

"Yeah."

What a thrilling conversation. Honestly, he tried to make it a lively one, but what was he supposed to talk about? With _Ming Ming_ of all people. She was a total opposite of him. She was small and he was tall. She was slender and he was solid. She liked to sing and he couldn't carry a tune to save his life. What on earth could they possibly talk about?

"So…" he started. At least she wasn't here with her teammates. That would make things a little… heated. "…Why are you here anyway? You're not blading in the tournament."

She frowned. "We might not be blading, but we're fans of the sport Bryan."

Right. Of course. But didn't they lack the funds to fly all this way? Perhaps they had found a source of income somehow since the last time they crossed? "Are you coming to watch our match against the All-Stars?"

"Maybe. Would it make you happy if we did?"

Confused, he frowned. "Why would it make me happy?"

"You're not much of a conversationalist are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

They continued to walk down the street in silence, each blader lost in their own thoughts. It was hard to imagine what thoughts were running through her mind. What did girls like to think about anyway? Shopping? No wonder girls weren't allowed in the Abbey. They were too confusing. Eventually, they reached the chocolate shop. Max Brenner. Everything on the menu was chocolate-related.

"Hi Bryan."

A certain raven haired blader was looking at him with a knowing smirk on his face. He also spotted Spencer who was currently seated at a table and looking quite satisfied with his milkshake. Great. How did these guys get here before him? And why hadn't he been invited?

"Hi Ming Ming," Ian added.

"Why are you here? I thought you were practicing with Tala," Bryan replied.

Ian shrugged. "Tala was getting all moody so Spencer and I bailed." He looked at Ming Ming again then Bryan. "Well, Spencer and I should probably go back. Tala wants to go through another practice run before tomorrow. See you later, Bryan. Have fun." Before Bryan could get out another word, Ian walked over to Spencer, whispered something into his ear then walked off with the blond giant.

"Well, let's have a seat shall we?" Ming Ming said, entering the store. She spotted a table in the far eastern corner then sat down. Bryan, unsure of what else to do, decided to accept her offer and joined her. This was certainly a new experience for him. "Why don't you tell me a little about your team?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I want to understand you lot better. You may find we're a little more alike than you think." She leaned back in her chair and grabbed the menu, her eyes quickly scanning the words on the plastic.

"I doubt that. You wouldn't understand what it's like to be a servant of Boris."

She looked up from the menu. "We worked for him too without knowing anything about his past."

"Unlike you, we didn't have a choice." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "We were taken from our homes at a young age. Taken away from our parents then placed in some abbey believing we were special children." He barked out a laugh. "That was all a lie. We were soldiers in the womb."

"I remember you mentioning that. So why not leave when you were mature enough?"

Again, he snorted. "It's not easy to leave when you work for a madman like Boris. Balkov Abbey was a prison – every corner and every room had a camera. Our every movement was monitored. We like lab rats trapped in a maze." He clasped his hands on the edge of the desk. Just mentioning the name Balkov Abbey made his blood boil. "That's why you'll never understand our team. Yeah, you worked for Boris, but you made that decision. We didn't."

"But didn't Kai escape? You could've gone with him. Aren't you friends?"

Friends. Yeah right. "We were all brothers in the Abbey, but Kai was the favourite. He was the Golden Boy. He was going to be in the team no matter how poorly he performed. His grandfather, Voltaire, was the mastermind behind Balkov Abbey. Boris was just the puppet." Fortunately, Voltaire was still in Russia and locked up behind bars. He could never hurt them again. Same with Boris. "Divide and conquer. That was the plan."

It felt odd telling Ming Ming about his life story, but it only fair to finish what he had started. He had brought it up during the dinner party, and she had asked nicely. On the positive note, at least they were having a conversation. She wasn't reacting in the way he suspected she would. She wasn't forcefully prying for details or casting judgements on him when so many others would. Never judge a book by its cover. Only now he was starting to understand that.

"That still doesn't answer my question."

Right. Kai escaping. He cleared his throat and carried on. "Kai left without warning. We were supposed to be battling each other, but Kai didn't show up. They tried searching for him, but Kai couldn't be found. He hadn't left the building so it left only one room that was unmonitored. The room with Black Dranzer. Kai broke the glass protecting it and took it for himself. Needless to say, Boris hadn't been too impressed with him."

"And he was gone the next day?"

Bryan nodded. "He left. He ran away. The experiment with Black Dranzer had affected him greatly and so he bolted. The authorities tried to stop him, but Boris decided to let him go. I suppose he always knew Kai would come crawling back to his roots." He scowled at the memory and tightened his grasp on the table. His knuckles started to turn white. "Kai could've shown us the way out, but he left us behind. All the years we spent together meant nothing to him. He was happy to leave us behind to suffer while he managed to get a few years of his life back."

"And yet he joined your team."

"Tala's decision. We talked about it beforehand and debated it. Spencer and I argued no. We didn't need that traitor on our side again. He had already burned us twice, but Tala was open to forgiveness. Kai came to us and Tala laid out the invitation to which Kai accepted. We might've reunited for a third time, but Kai didn't treat us like teammates. He used us to get to Tyson. He didn't a crap about our well-being."

It was only by luck Tala had stumbled upon them knocked out. If Tala hadn't found them… Most likely he wouldn't even be here today in this very building. "People may think Kai is some noble blader but he's only interested in serving his own needs."

The girl brought a hand to her lower lip and bit down on a nail. Had he made her nervous? Or was it something she did out of habit? "Kai never said a word to me during his short stay at Bega Headquarters. To be honest, I always thought he was gay. He avoided all the females like the plague."

Bryan couldn't help it. He actually spared a chuckle at her words despite the seriousness in her tone. Kai, gay? "There were no females in the Abbey."

"That explains a lot. So you're just a bunch of repressed bladers?"

His humour faded. Repressed? "We're not repressed. We just haven't had a chance to act on… emotions." In the words of Boris, emotions were a weakness. Feelings led to temptation which then led to self-destruction. The only emotions accepted were anger and hate which Boris claimed was a positive force. Bladers were pushed to their limits until they were broken. "Do you see now why you and I are not alike?"

"Our situations may have differed, but it doesn't change the fact our experiences broke us. We are the damned," she said softly.

He stood up from the chair. "I need to leave. My teammates need me." He had already told her far too much.

"I thought you wanted to eat?"

"I've lost my appetite." They were not 'broken' as she had put it. They were not fragile tortured souls. No. He looked at her one last time. "You could never hope to understand us because you have not suffered as we have. When you have been locked inside a prison for years and been pushed beyond your limits then come back and tell me we are alike." Before Ming Ming could speak again, Bryan made a break for the door, leaving the poor girl behind on her own.

.

"I hate to break up the group hug, but we need to talk," said a voice from behind. Tyson withdrew his hand and looks towards the source. Johnny and accompanying him was Robert and Enrique. Kai grimaced. "You guys may have beaten us today, but you just got lucky." He dug his hands into his pocket.

"If you want a rematch, just ask," Rei replied. "Driger will be happy to accommodate your wishes."

Pulling his hands out of his pockets, Johnny raised his hands defensively. "Hey now, retract those claws, Rei. We're not looking for a fight – we just want to talk. Actually, Robert wants to talk. We just came along because he wants us to be there too."

"The tournament doesn't get any easier for you," Robert said stepping forwards. "You will face the Demolition Boys then, if you succeed, you will battle against the Horsemen and they are unlike anything you've ever battled against."

"Way to be dramatic, Robert," Enrique drawled. "But he's right. You Bladebreakers… Or Avengers… Whatever you are called, need to be at your best. There's a storm brewing and you're right in the path of it."

"You know something," Kenny said.

Robert nodded. "Forget about the battles of the past. Forget Tala. Forget Zeo. Forget Brooklyn. What comes is far more dangerous than the three of them combined. The Leviathan. He was the first bitbeast to be created but he fell and became trapped. He is the living embodiment of all that is evil in this world."

"That's what King was warning us about…" Tyson started.

Kai frowned. "We watched one of their earlier matches. Our bitbeasts sensed something off about them."

"As did ours," Robert replied. "My ancestors wrote a book about the Leviathan. It speaks about the day when the Leviathan beast will break free of his chains and unleash chaos upon our world. Both the Saint Shields and the Dark Bladers can confirm this as fact."

"Wait, the Saint Shields and Dark Bladers know about this too?" Rei said.

"It makes sense, Rei. Your bitbeasts are the four sacred ones. The Saint Shields made it their life's goal to learn everything about them… if they're in danger, they're going to know about it," Kenny pointed out. "As for the Dark Bladers… well… they're fallen bladers linked to the darkness in our world. If they sense something wrong they'll feel it."

"This… Leviathan creature… What else do you know about it? When you speak of chains what do you mean?" Kai inquired, thoughtful. "Like a cage?"

Robert nodded. "I don't know all the precise details yet, but yes, I believe the beast was caged. I do not know who is behind his release, but it must be someone who has access to the best technology science has to offer."

There was only one company in the entire world that had the funds to produce the best. The PBB headquarters in America. Max's mother. All heads turned to Max who paled. "No… My mother would never…"

"I don't your mother is to blame, Max," Robert said then paused. "There is someone else behind the scenes pulling the strings and your mother has been caught up in it. Your mother coached the All-Stars but it was not her idea, was it? The man was Douglas, the CEO of PBB Enterprises. He mysteriously vanished after his team lost the American Tournament."

"You think he's a suspect?" Hilary said.

"Who else could it be?" Enrique said. "Think about it. Douglas wanted to prove so desperately that science could defeat spirit. You guys proved him wrong. So we think he's been planning behind the scenes for years trying to prove science still wins."

Robert looked at Tyson. "I also suspect your father is involved in this. He knows a lot about myths and digging up old artefacts and such, yes? If there is a cage to be found then he would know where to look."

"I should talk to my mum," Max said.

"A gathering of minds," Robert answered. "We can pull bits and pieces to come to a conclusion together, but now is not the time. You've got a major battle to focus on."

"After the semis we can talk," Kenny said. "We'll all know more by then."

"The other teams can help too," Kai said. "The ones no longer competing, but Robert is right. We need to focus our efforts on defeating the Demolition Boys before we can even think about the Horsemen." He looked at Robert. "We'll leave the uncovering of information to you lot since you no longer have a tournament to focus on."

"You better make it to the end," Johnny said. "We didn't lose for nothing."

Robert glanced down at the time. "We would love to stay, but we must depart now. There's a VIP party being held in a few short hours. There's a special guest performing and it would be most rude of us to be late. We will keep in touch. Best of luck for the remaining rounds." He turned his back and walked off with his teammates.

"So… pizza?" Max said, changing the topic.

Tyson nodded. "Why not?"


	21. Settle the Score

Thanks to unaisa memon, Drazillia and cutetyhil for reviewing the previous chapter.

 **.**

 **Chapter Twenty: Settle the Score**

Another loss, but what a quick exit it was. Knocked out of the tournament just after the first official round thanks to the new elimination layout. Once again the White Tigers were out of the running. She was starting to wonder why they had even bothered competing if they had just been set up to lose.

"Mariah, don't feel bad about it. None of us were aware of what we would be up against," Kevin said, doing his best to console his upset friend. Their battle for a place in the semis had been ended by the Bai Hu Clan their rivals for centuries. Tao had told them the Bai Hu Clan had no longer existed so it was certainly a surprise to see them on participating in the tournament with their prehistoric bitbeasts.

What hurt the most was seeing Mystel on their team and watching how easily they made short work of the White Tiger bitbeasts. He fit perfectly in with them and it made her wonder just how little she really knew him. Perhaps that's what Brooklyn had been warning her about. Perhaps it was wise to heed his words and take his advice. But curiosity led her to finding more answers. She needed to know the entire truth.

"It doesn't feel right, Kevin," Mariah replied, lifting her gaze up from her battered blade. The attack ring was unrepairable. Destroyed with a single bone-crushing bite from the prehistoric hyena type-creature. It belonged to the female, Dohna. The bitbeast was known as 'Pachycrocuta' and what a menace it was. Lightning fast and a jaw grip so powerful, it could shatter the metal of any advanced beyblade.

Master Li, the leader of the ragtag team, had also showcased his skills, but hadn't revealed his bitbeast. Mystel had been the last to blade and her unfortunate brother hadn't stood a chance. "But what can we do, Mariah? You saw how quickly they destroyed our blades."

"There has to be something we can do!"

"You're thinking about Mystel, aren't you? This has nothing to do with the others."

She released a sigh. "I don't understand why he would ally with them."

"Talk to him, Mariah. You're never going to learn the truth by standing around here and doing nothing. The semis don't start until later tonight so you have heaps of time to reach out to him. Maybe you convince him to drop out. If he really cared about you, he'd do the right thing," Kevin explained.

It was odd hearing such words from Kevin. For years they had been giving him lectures on how to behave like a mature adult yet he was the one now giving advice. Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled, trying to calm down her nerves. "You're right. But what about Lee?"

Lee had locked himself up in the room, and he hadn't come out since their loss yesterday. They had ended up in a room at one of the nearby hotels. "…If anyone can help Lee, it'll be Rei. I'll talk with Rei after the match – he doesn't need to be distracted now. You go and deal with Mystel and figure out just what's going on here. You should take Gary with you for backup in case things turn sour. I don't trust those bladers."

And neither did she. What were their intentions? Why had they revealed themselves now? Why had Mystel joined them? So many questions yet she lacked answers. She heaved a sigh. "I'll take Gary with me. You talk to Rei after the match with the Demolition Boys. I'll be back before the match begins."

"I wish you all the best, Mariah."

An odd thing to say, but she pushed it aside and walked down the hallway, heading towards the entrance. People were piling in early. The queue was so long there were people lining up on the streets. The biggest match of the decade was the headline being splashed on papers and television news programmes. The Avengers battling against the Demolition Boys for a spot in the finals. The winner would then play off against the Bai Hu Clan or the Horsemen.

Now where would Mystel be? Most likely he was within range of the stadium sticking close with his new teammates. What did his former teammates think of the ditch? She dug a hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Selecting Mystel's number she sent him a quick text telling her to meet him in the training facility nearby.

She hoped he'd come along. They hadn't traded a single word since Brooklyn had interfered. She was well overdue for an explanation of the sudden loss in communication. Perhaps there was still a chance she could reach out him if there was any part of him that still cared. "Gary," she said, walking towards the café where her friend was busy eating a garden salad. Tapping him on the shoulder, she added, "We're going out. I want you to come with me."

"But what about my salad?"

"You can take it with you. Come on, I need you."

He stood up and cradled his plastic bowl of salad. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to settle a score with the Bai Hu Clan. Lee's locked in the room and Kevin's going to talk with Rei. That leaves you and I to sort this mess out. My blade is broken, and I can't get it fixed until tomorrow. If worse comes to worse, I'll need you to battle."

Gary nods. "Okay."

She smiled. "Good. Let's go."

.

"…Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to the semi finals of the World Beyblade Tournament of 2016!" DJ Jazzman announced as the replays of the quarters played on the screens capturing the best moments. "If you're just joining us now let me briefly recap the action of the quarters over in Australia!"

Max turned to the big black screen to watch the highlights reel. His battle against Enrique was the first to be played. Only the most exciting parts of the battle were shown in a highly edited clip.

"In Sydney, quarter finalists of Block A battled it out. We had the tournament favourites the Avengers up against the Majestics! Max took out the first match against Enrique in a gruelling display whilst Tyson fell to Robert's mighty Griffolyon! Fortunately for the Avengers Rei was able to pull off a last minute sunbeam attack to knock Johnny's blade out of the dish allowing his team to advance!"

The screen changed to show the highlights of the second day. Max watched as Michael's Trygle and Bryan's Falborg battled it out. The clash of the birds of prey. Trygle had the upper strength being more powerful up front, but Falborg's agility and superior speed gave Bryan the win in the end allowing the Demolition Boys to advance.

"On the second day we were treated to a showdown between the ice-cold Demolition Boys and the always enthusiastic All-Stars! Fans were treated to another thrilling round of professional blading starting with Eddy and Steven! Round one resulted in a draw. Tala was up next and he bladed against Rick and showed tremendous power to knock Rock Bison out of the dish to claim the second win. Bryan defeated Michael in an epic clash of avians to steal a last minute victory and thus the Demolition Boys advanced!"

"You feeling all right, Max?" Tyson said.

Max nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm fine. We know how the Demolition Boys blade. We've got this. We've beaten them before… and there are no type advantages against us this time," he said, drawing reference to the Dranzer vs Seaborg battle. "What about you? How you feeling?"

"Better than ever."

He smiled. "That's great."

"In Melbourne, fans were treated to the quarter finalists of Block B! The Horsemen made short work of the Saint Shields claiming three straight wins over Ozuma, Mariam and Dunga! On the second day the other new competitors, the Bai Hu Clan, clashed with the White Tigers and engaged in tribal warfare! Fans were surprised to see former Bega blader Mystel join their ranks, and he proved to be just as competitive as always defeating Lee to take out the win!"

The screen changed once more. The Avengers vs Demolition Boys. Previous matches between the two were played serving to remind fans just how brutal their past encounters were. Max hadn't bladed in the Russian tournament. Now was his chance to step up and prove that he too could defeat the Russians.

"These two teams have a long history of battles and I just know you're all in for a treat when they clash in the stadium today! These two teams first met in the World Championships in Russia where Tyson claimed victory over Tala to claim the trophy! Tyson and his teammates then met with the Tala's team again last year with both of them under new names. Now, the original teams have reunited! Max will battle Spencer, Tyson will take on Bryan and then former tag-team partners, Kai and Tala will finish off the match."

One more time the screen changed to showcase the Block B semi finalist contenders.

"Tomorrow we'll witness the two new powerhouse teams the Horsemen and the Bai Hu Clan fight in what is bound to be an equally fascinating match! So, sit back and enjoy and try not to blink often or you'll miss out on all action!"

Kai rolled his eyes and removed his earplugs. "At least, he's finished. I wonder how much they pay this goon each match?"

"Come on Kai, get into the spirit of the tournament," Tyson said cheerfully.

"I'll get into the spirit once we've won."

He retreated to the bench and sat down. Kenny and Hilary were both back in the room developing a new blade for Rei choosing to sacrifice this match to give Rei more practice time. "You'll do great, Max. Show these Demolition Boys whose boss around here." He joined Kai on the bench. Max walked up to the dish.

The new dishes were twice the size of the quarter finalist ones. They were half the size of a football field allowing bladers a fair amount of room. Two columns with handrails stood on the opposite ends overlooking the dish. The handrails were a late minute addition added as a safety precaution to prevent bladers from falling over. Somehow, Max didn't think they were going to do much.

"Let's get on with it then!" He pressed a button beneath the hand rails. Moments later, the floor opened up to showcase the first dish. About eighty percent was water whilst the remainder of the terrain was tiny islands. "This is the Bay of Islands dish! There is limited land space for the bladers so they'll have to claim an island and defend it otherwise be knocked into the ocean for an instant knock out! Everyone, give it up for your challengers, Max and Spencer!"

Max prepared his launcher. "Here goes nothing, Draciel. I know we can win this if we work together."

"Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!"

The bladers released. Both blades landed on the middle island which was the biggest of them all. One forty small islands in one dish. Whoever designed this certainly did a fine job. "Draciel! Defence Curl!"

"Seaborg! Attack! Use Tidal Wave!" Spencer raised a hand into the air, curling his fingers into a fist, as he summoned his bitbeast. Seaborg emerged from the pillar of white light, immediately seeking refuge in the water.

"Stay steady, Draciel! Hold your ground!" Draciel bent his legs slightly, planting his feet firmly into the earth. He pulled in his head closer to the shell and crossed his stubby arms over his chest. Seaborg surfaced, spraying a fountain of water from his blowhole. The whale lifted his tail then slapped the water with it with enough force to create a quake.

Max grabbed onto the rails to steady himself as his column moved backwards and forwards. It was like being on a boat and rocking to the waves from side to side. Thank Draciel he wasn't prone to bouts of seasickness. A large wave of at least ten feet rose up, moving towards the island at an alarming speed. Moving towards the direction Max was also standing in.

With a deafening roar, the wave crashed down over Draciel. The impact caused Max's column to collapse. Rock crumbling rapidly beneath him, Max could do nothing but fall down with the rubble. He grunted as he made impact, face and chest taking the brunt of the blow. Water crashed down over him then picked him up, pulling him into the dish as it receded. His body ached. His clothes were soaked. But his spirit had not been broken. Climbing to his feet, Max looked up Spencer, and tightened his jaw. "It's going to take more than a wave than to bring me down! Draciel! Attack now!"

Draciel craned his neck back and roared at his opponent then lowered his head and charged. Seaborg, still submerged, was rammed just below the throat. He crashed back into the water taking Draciel with him. The whale smacked at the water with his tail, trying to create small waves to push Draciel off, but the tortoise dug his claws in deep into the blubber.

Spencer smiled. "You've fallen for my trap! Seaborg, activate special attack!" Max spotted a red glow coming from Seaborg's green crystal gem on the end of his nose. Something was happening. Something Max hadn't witnessed yet. The water in dish started to rotate clockwise. Slowly at first, but its power intensified with each second passing. Parts of the islands started to become undone as they were sucked into the vortex.

A whirlpool. Played right into the hands of Spencer, but there was still a chance to get out of this. Where was his power coming from? Why hadn't Spencer shown it last year when it mattered? "Max! You have to get out of there!" Rei called out. Max glanced over his shoulder. Both Kai and Rei were on their feet.

Right. But how was he was supposed to break free of the vortex? Unless… the power seemed to be coming from the gem. If he could just direct Draciel to damage it… then maybe the vortex would stop? He had to move fast. The vortex was pulling him in too. He dropped onto the ground realizing he had a better chance of slowing his movement down if he applied his full body weight. He dug his hands and feet into the sand.

"You should give up, Max! You know you're no match for Seaborg's power! He is the King of the Sea! The sea obeys me!"

"I will not give up! I will never give up!" Slowly, he felt himself dragged across the sand, as he continued to near the centre of the vortex. A few trees fell over and joined the debris being sucked in. "Draciel! Special attack!" he screamed. The gears in Max's blade triggered. He noted with satisfaction how the confident gleam in Spencer's eyes faded. Now there was doubt. Perfect. "Gravity Control!" Turn Spencer's power against him. That was the plan. It worked against Kai once. It almost worked against Tyson. Maybe he'd get a third time lucky.

The water began to rotate in the reverse direction. It didn't stop Max from being sucked in, but at least the power was now in his hands. With the rotation now working in his favour, Draciel was able to drain energy from Seaborg to replenish his own. The whale released a wounded cry as Draciel swiped at the gemstone shattering it.

The vortex ended abruptly. Taking in deep heavy breaths, Max picked himself up, one hand resting on his right leg for support. Every breath stung. Though he had endured the physical assault of the waves, it had taken most of his energy. His knees buckled, unable to support his weight longer, giving way to the ground. The previous battle against Enrique only three days ago and the fatigue associated with it had finally caught up.

"Max!"

"…You did well, Draciel," Max managed to force out. "We almost had it too." He shut his eyes just as Draciel stopped spinning. There was a few seconds pause then the crowd exploded into raucous applause.

"…And Spencer's Seaborg has claimed the first round victory! It almost looked like Seaborg was going to end up being as a beached whale but the physical toll was too much for Max and Draciel!"

He felt a presence besides him. "You did great, Max. You almost had him too," said Tyson. Max felt himself lifted up from the ground. Tyson flung his arm around his neck. "Come on, I'll lead you back to the bench. The doctors are on their way to assess you."

Max was too tired to talk back. Once he reached the bench, he flopped down, exhausted. Moments later, a team of two doctors approached with a stretcher. "We'll take it from here, Tyson." Together, the two males lifted Max onto the stretcher before carrying him way for further checks. As he was carried off, Max curled his fingers around his Draciel blade, a smile spreading across his face.

They might have lost the battle, but Draciel had made him proud.

.

A blade sailed past her head, narrowly avoiding making contact. It flew into the nearby tree and remained embedded in it. Exhaling sharply, she looked in the direction of which the blade had come from. Standing a few metres away was a woman with long black hair. Dohna. "Mariah, right? Did you come here to have a rematch? Oh wait. Your blade is totally trashed. What about your big friend there? Perhaps he'd like to have a fight?"

Gary growled, and raised his blade, ready to launch. Mariah placed a hand on his arm and forced it down. "Don't fall for the bait. Let me handle this." Gary lowered his arm, but his steely gaze remained. "I'm not here for you. I want to talk to Mystel. Alone."

The woman snorted. "A lover's spat? Oh joy, they're fun to watch." She glanced over her shoulder. "Mystel! There's someone here who wants to speak with you." A few moments later the blond appeared. "I can tell her to leave if you want."

Mystel locked eyes with her. "No. She can stay. I want to hear what she has to say."

"You need me to hang around?"

"I'll be fine, Dohna. You can leave. I'll see you at the tournament in a few hours."

The female pouted, as if disappointed. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned in close whispering something into his ear. He frowned then she pulled back, a smile on her face. "I'll see you later then." She winked at Mariah then walked off. Gary, realizing this was a private moment, moved to the side giving them both some space.

"Mariah… why'd you come?" Mystel started. He sounded tired. Unhappy even.

"Because I want answers. I haven't heard from you in weeks."

"I've been busy."

"Busy dealing with your new friends."

His jaw tightened. "Mariah, you shouldn't even be here. Go back to your team."

"And do what? Your team knocked us out, Mystel. So what happened? Did you pull a Kai-move and ditch Bega to join up with another powerful team?" she demanded, her voice raising an octave. _Remain calm,_ she told herself. _Be rational. You're the level-headed one in the family._

"I didn't abandon Bega."

"You sure about that? Because I see you standing here before me competing in the tournament without the rest of your former teammates. If that doesn't sound like abandonment then I don't know what does." He visibly cringed. Good. Her words were having an impact. Make him squirm a little. See how he liked being the one to suffer. "So why did you leave? Or did they realize you were a traitor and kick you out?"

"I didn't betray anyone, Mariah."

"Right. I find that hard to believe."

He sighed. "You have questions… ask away."

"The Bai Hu Clan. Why are they here? What's your connection to them?"

He raked a hand through his hair and avoided meeting her eyes. Guilt probably. "There are many things you don't know about me, Mariah… and I just… ask that you hear me out."

"Start talking."

"I was abandoned by my parents at a young age. They didn't have the finances to raise me properly so they left me behind in the woods. I suppose they hoped I'd perish there in the wilderness and no one would ever know. Master Li found me and brought me to their home. I was inducted into their way of life and became part of the tribe," he explained as he moved in a little closer. Now he was just an arm's length away. "They taught me how to blade. Everything I know now can be credited to them."

No wonder he was sometimes labelled as the mysterious Mystel. She really didn't know much about him at all. "You could've told me earlier."

"I never wanted you to know, Mariah. If you did… you'd turn your back on me in a heartbeat. I've done things I'm not proud of, and if I could take it all back, I would, but you can't turn back time. You can only go forward." He still refused to meet her eyes. What could possibly be so terrible he was hesitant in telling her?

"You're a friend, Mystel. You can trust me."

"If you knew the truth you wouldn't." He turned his head to the right and gazed up at the tournament stadium. "I never wanted to hurt you Mariah. I never wanted to be held responsible for being the cause of your team's elimination but I didn't have a choice in the matter. Once you join with them you never leave."

"You make it sound like a cult. Everyone has a choice."

"Everything you know about me is a lie, Mariah. I didn't join up with Bega out of the blue – I knew exactly what I was doing." He looked at her now and she could see the conflict in his eyes. Torn. Guilt. Even fear. "I was raised as a blader of the Bai Hu Clan and we practiced day and night perfecting the infamous 360 attack I'm known for. It wasn't to become the best blader to win some title… We trained for war. To take out opposing clans. Like yours."

To train for war… take out opposition… those precise moves… perfect accuracy… "That's why you were there at the White Tiger Hills… You weren't there to help me, were you? You were spying on us." She felt as though she had been slapped in the face. All these past few months of spending quality time together… All just a like. He had been using her. Most likely he had been feeding information back to his people and that's why they had come. Come to what? Collect?

He took a step towards her. She took one back. "…Mariah…"

"Stay back," she replied almost with a snarl. He stopped, his hands raised in a defensive manner. "How dare you? You came into our lives pretending to be a friend but all this time you were a foe!" She pointed at herself. "I _trusted_ you! I was willing to turn my back on my tradition to be with you, but I can see now that's all just a big mistake."

She didn't cry. Tears would come later when no one could see her. "Mariah… I…"

"Are you trying to explain yourself because there's absolutely nothing you can say that is ever going to make this right! You came into my homeland to spy on us, Mystel. How the hell do you justify that? You're worse than Kai. At least he never tried to be a friend. But you – did you ever care for me at all or were you simply playing mind games with me?"

He looked down at the ground. What a fool she had been to think that he ever cared. Never trust a man who hid his true face behind a mask for they had something to hide. How could she have been so blind? Lee had seen it. He had warned her against Mystel yet she had happily let him in blind to his fake charm. "Of course I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here right now talking to you. I hated Brooklyn for what he did to you in regards to trying to drive us apart."

"You're missing the point entirely, Mystel. You kept truths from me!"

"To protect you!" he retorted.

"To protect me from what? From the real you?" She scoffed. "I'm not some damsel in distress."

"Do you see now why I didn't want you to know? Because I knew this was going to happen. Asking questions," he retorted, frustrated.

"And why should I not? You want me to remain blind so you can continue to manipulate me?"

Mystel looked ready to argue back, but stopped himself short. Instead, he sighed. "I don't want to fight, Mariah. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted to avoid this – this conflict we're having now." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck before carrying on. "But you now know. We can move forwards from this."

"We can't ever go back to the way things were," she replied. How could she trust him knowing that he was only in the village to spy on her people? How could she even reconsider letting him back into her circle with the knowledge she had now? A manipulator. A liar. And above all, a coward who hid behind a mask. "My brother was right to distrust you."

A muscle jerked in his jaw. "…Mariah… please…"

She held a hand up. "I don't want to hear it anymore. You've said what needs to be said." Seems like her grandfather knew best after all. Pairing her with Rei from birth was the right thing to do. Arranged relationships was for the best of the tribe. At least Rei had no secrets – she knew everything about him. They could have an honest relationship. Unlike one with Mystel which was built on lies.

"I guess it's over then," Mystel started after a few moments pause. He looked at her with an expression that made her heart ache. Hurt. Rejection. Shattered. It was almost tempting to say, 'okay – maybe we could still make this work' but forgiving him would be a sign of weakness. Sometimes, the right decisions were the ones that hurt the most. "I just want you to know that you were the reason I left the Bai Hu Clan. I wanted for this to work so badly that I kept the truth so you wouldn't leave. So you wouldn't hate me for what I've done. I loved you, Mariah, and I still do, regardless of what you think of me now."

She bit down on her lower lip and turned away, unable to meet his gaze. No one else, aside from her brother and grandfather, had ever told her that. Not even Rei, her crush for years, had ever been able to say it out aloud. Maybe it was a last ditch attempt to reach out to her so he could keep her close. But no. She wasn't weak. She wasn't some gullible girl who was going to forgive someone just because they knew the right cards to play. "Just go, Mystel. You've got a battle to focus on." Motioning for Gary to follow, she turned her back, kept her head low and walked away without sparing a glance back, a single tear running down her cheek.

.

Max had lost. All the pressure to win now fell on his shoulders once again. A draw wouldn't help. That would just end in a sudden death match if Kai won his match. He had to win and he knew he had to win big. "You can do this, Tyson. Just focus on the match and nothing else. You can beat Bryan."

"I know, Kai. Don't worry."

Kai retreated to the bench.

"Current reigning world champion Tyson will now face off against Bryan of the Demolition Boys! Tyson will be desperate to keep his final hopes alive by winning this match so you can expect this one to be intense! These bladers will be tested in the Christchurch dish!" He pressed a button. Once again the floor opened up revealing the next dish. A replica of the city stood before him. The cathedral was there amongst other tall buildings and structures. He could even see the town hall.

To make things even more difficult there were moving motor vehicles on the streets moving. The ones on the left lane headed towards him, whilst the cars in the right lane moved in Bryan's direction. The crowd gave their approval with a Mexican wave. "Well Dragoon, we've been in a similar dish before," he noted, recalling the dish he had bladed in against Steven. "Let's show the world why we're number one."

As if to give his approval, Dragoon glowed. Smiling, Tyson placed his blade on his launcher then inserted the ripcord. Rei had beaten Bryan once before, but had suffered terribly as a result. Would Bryan resort back to his old tricks that made him one of the most feared names in history of the game? He'd soon find out.

"Oh, and one last thing. Every couple of minutes you will experience a violent tremor! Are you able to use that to your advantage or will you slip through the cracks? With that in mind, let's get started! Three… two… one… LET IT RIP!"

A dish that had its own man made earthquake. How lifelike. Now he had two things to worry about. Avoiding the cars and withstanding the earthquake damage. He released his Dragoon a second later after Bryan. The blades both landed on the same lane and the chase began immediately. Dragoon weaved in and out of the cars, knowing one direct collision could throw him out of the dish. Bryan did the same.

"I was hoping to face Rei again since he and I have a score to settle, but you'll do just fine, Tyson. How kind of you to step in his place and take the beating I'm about to unleash upon you! Falborg! Razor Wind!" His falcon emerged moments later, hovering in the sky. The bird flapped his wings creating a vicious biting wind within seconds. Tyson could feel the wind lashing against his skin, biting at the flesh as if he was being on the receiving end of a hooked whip.

"I can understand what you had to endure now, Rei…" Tyson murmured as he formed an 'X' with his arms to provide some barrier from the wind. His eyes stung. His skin felt like it was on fire. His clothing was slowly being ripped apart. There was even blood on his bare arms. "So you wanna play dirty, do you Bryan? Some things never change. Dragoon!"

His dragon gave a triumphant roar as he emerged from the blade. Like Tyson, Dragoon held his claws before his face to protect himself from the full fury of the wind. Planting his feet into the ground, Tyson leaned into the wind, his jaw clenched. "No hard feelings or anything, but I came here to win, and I'll do that my way! Falborg!"

The avian flew in circles whipping up the wind speed to another level. Tyson was helpless as the wind lifted him up off the ground and flung him across the arena right into a wall. With a pained grunt, Tyson smacked the wall then flopped down, his body aching. He planted both his hands on the ground then pushed himself up. Dusting his clothes of dirt, he looked at Bryan and said, "You're going to have to do better than that to bring me down."

Bryan flexed his muscles. "I'm just getting warmed up, Tyson."

Tyson growled. "Dragoon! Galaxy Turbo Twister!" he screamed. His infamous twister move erupted from the centre of the bitchip. Cars nearby were flung aside into nearby buildings. Windows shattered. Foundations crumbled. "Bring him down, Dragoon!"

As strong as Falborg was, the avian was unable to escape from the rampaging funnel. Bryan's blade was pulled into the funnel. Round in round his blade went until Dragoon threw him aside right into the cathedral. The building imploded. Rocks crashed down Falborg trapping the blade beneath the rubble.

"Bryan's Falborg is trapped beneath the rock! Will he able to escape or is it game over for Bryan?"

Bryan snickered. "Not a bad move, Tyson, but don't you get sick of using the same old attack over and over again? In my time off, I learned some new moves. You get to be the first person to experience my Falborg's wrath! Falborg, Wings of Razors!" Within a split second, the rocks pinning his blade down were sliced in half. The remaining pieces were flung aside as Falborg spread his wings and took to the air once more. The falcon gained altitude then hovered in place. "Now use Dive Bomb!"

His avian pinned his wings back then dropped, hurtling towards the ground at a speed so fast, Tyson could only see a blur of grey. Dragoon, unable to escape in time, was hit directly on top, the impact powerful enough to push him deep into the ground. Any thought of escaping faded from his mind as the ground began to vibrate. The randomly generated earthquake. The falcon released his talons and pulled back.

Rocks piled on Dragoon, his bitbeast roaring as the dragon was burrowed beneath. The quake caused Tyson to lose his balance and he stumbled over his own feet. Falling to his knees, he gritted his teeth as the buildings around him swayed from side to side. Several of them collapsed creating several shockwaves. Each one knocked the wind out of Tyson.

When the ground settled, Tyson climbed to his feet once more. Bryan was still standing behind the safety of his hand rail and wearing a confident smirk. Drawing in a deep breath, Tyson observed his surroundings, searching for a new strategy. Dragoon was still burrowed beneath, but the dragon was still clearly in the fight as the growls could still be heard.

 _Bryan's right,_ Tyson thought. _I only really have one attack that everyone knows. Falborg is a wind spirit too so I have no real advantage, but there must be something else I can do…_ More power. That was the answer. _Wind is the strongest force on earth, and with more power I can take my attacks to the next level. Falborg might be strong, but there's only one true master of the wind._ It would take a lot of power to sustain a tornado of that level but he could see no other option.

"Okay Dragoon, let's kick it up a notch! Full power now!" As if on command, Dragoon activated his twister again, using it to blow the rocks holding him down in the same fashion as Bryan. A funnel emerged for a second time. This time it was twice the size of his usual one. Slowly, all the cars in the arena rose up in the air, sucked into the swirling mass of air within the funnel. Buildings that had been weakened already easily fell apart.

"Falborg!"

"Only one of us can progress to the finals and it's going to be me! This isn't just about defending my title! There's far more at stake here than you could possibly ever imagine! And that is why I must win! Dragoon! Final attack!" he screamed. The howling wind destroyed everything in its path. Cars went flying. Buildings cracked under the pressure. "Now!"

The louder Tyson screamed, the stronger the wind became. His yells and shouts were drowned out by the wind and the collapsing of buildings. He continued yelling at the top of his lungs, mustering up all the power he could to sustain the twister. The stronger the tornado became, the larger it grew. There was nothing now that could withstand this destructive force.

He felt some sympathy for Falborg. The tornado consumed it and gave the poor avian a pummelling he'd never forget. He dropped down to one knee, feeling his strength rapidly wane. Never had he had to sustain such a ferocious windstorm before. Only through sheer determination was he able to hold himself together and keep going.

"…Oh shit."

Tyson dropped and pressed his belly flat on the ground, narrowly avoiding a flying piece of the cathedral roof. He hardly had the energy to stand up, let alone kneel on his knees. Dragoon gave one final roar then returned to his blade just as the windstorm died down. The stadium was a sight of catastrophe. It was almost as if a bomb had hit the place. Buildings all destroyed. Pieces of car scattered all around the stadium. There was also a massive tear in the ceiling.

DJ Jazzman helped himself to his feet. He was on the opposite side of the dish, having been blown across. The man raced over to what little remained of the dish then brought the microphone to his mouth. "Unbelievable! Tyson's twister attack has totally destroyed the dish and blown Bryan and his blade back to his team bench!"

Indeed he had. The burly Russian blader was lying unconscious on the floor before a shaken Tala and Spencer. As for his blade, it lay in hundreds of little pieces across the stadium floor, completely destroyed. The bitchip was the only part that had survived. "…We did it Dragoon. We won," Tyson weakly said, drawing in deep breaths. His blade returned to his hand.

"…Tyson." A hand extended towards him. Kai. Tyson grabbed it and allowed Kai to pull him up to his feet. "Well played. Welcome back." Kai then gestured at the surrounding damage. Only then did Tyson realize one of the stands had to be evacuated. The fans didn't seem to care. They all thought it was part of the show and loved being so close to the action. "Nice job on taking out half the stadium too."

Tyson cracked a grin. "Finish it with a bang, Kai."

"You know it."

Tyson drew in a few more deep breaths then spoke again. "You're up against Tala. I've fought him before, but you know him on a deeper level. Don't let him play mind games with you." The same advice his friends had given him over the years. Keep a cool head and play the game. Words could always come later.

"Tala's going down. I won't let him get the best of me."

Kai didn't say another word as he wandered over to the dish. Tyson walked back to the bench and sat down, relieved at a chance to rest for a little. Every muscle ached. The price of victory. So that's how Rei had felt when he had battled Bryan all those years ago. Some of the doctors came rushing over to check on him, but Tyson shooed them away. "Honest, I'm fine."

Just a little tired and a bit sore. Some of the gashes on his arms were still bleeding, but they'd clot soon. In a few days they'd be gone and he'd be as good as new.

"…And now we have the final match of Block A semi-finalists, Kai and Tala! Whoever wins this match will go on to compete in the finals! Will Kai prove too strong for his former tag-team partner? Or will Tala pull off a last minute victory? Don't blink or you'll miss out on all the action!"

Tyson gripped his knees with both hands. "You can do it, Kai. I know you can. Show them what Dranzer can do."

.

It hadn't taken much effort to find their former teammate. He was at the local blading park just across the road from the beystadium looking down at the dish before him. In a few short hours, he'd be expected to blade against one of the Horsemen. Fans from all around the globe had paid large amounts of money just to witness it. Brooklyn, however, was not one of those crazy fans. He had other plans.

Garland and Ming Ming accompanied him. He had planned in visiting Mystel on his own, but his teammates insisted on coming too. "Surely, there has to be some other way to solve this peacefully," Ming Ming said. "Does it really have to come down to a battle?"

"It's the only way, Ming Ming. He'll thank us in the long run," Brooklyn replied, crossing the road. Thankfully, there was no one else around. Everyone was busy watching the game inside the venue or watching it from the bars or their homes. Perfect time to settle the score without a crowd to watch. "Besides, he's asking for it."

"Can't you just talk about it?"

He would've laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. "We settle things with a beybattle, not with words, Ming Ming. Maybe you girls do these things differently, but this is the best possible resolution. You agree don't you, Garland?" He looked to the kick boxer for support.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Garland nodded. "Sorry Ming Ming, but Brooklyn is right. We put him out of the tournament and then together we put an end to the Bai Hu Clan."

"This sounds like a recipe for disaster…" she murmured.

"We're not going to hurt him," Brooklyn assured, then with a slight smirk, he added, "Okay, maybe just a little, but don't say he doesn't deserve to be roughed up a little. Let's not forget he joined up with another team without informing us." He was also going to be battling against one of the Horsemen. He hadn't forgotten the words in his vision - War, Famine, Pestilence and Death, the four faces of the Horsemen of biblical origin. Battling them had one result – a loss. He was doing Mystel favour by forcing him out of the tournament.

"Did you get ditched?" Brooklyn called out as he approached the blond.

Mystel looked up then frowned, noticing who they were. "Brooklyn. Ming Ming, and Garland. I'm not even going to ask where you got the funds from, but rather why have you come?"

Brooklyn pulled out his blade and launcher. The ripcord was already inserted. "I think we should have a match. Let's see how sharp you really are."

"I'm not going to battle you."

"Too afraid to take me on?" Brooklyn challenged.

Mystel narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a coward, Brooklyn."

"I don't take no for an answer. You should know that." He released his blade directly in front of Mystel's path, preventing him from going anywhere. "I'm not leaving until you fight back." Garland and Ming Ming stayed back a few metres. "So what's it going to be?"

"You're an ass, you know that right?" Mystel replied, reaching down into a pocket to pull out his blade and launcher. He put the blade in place then inserted the ripcord. Gripping the launcher firmly, he jerked his other hand back, sending his blade forwards at a speeding pace. Poseidon landed directly on top of Zeus.

With Zeus, Poseidon was no serious threat. Mystel could hold his own for the first few minutes of the battle, but Zeus always won in the end. But without Zeus? They were more or less on the same playing field. "Maybe, but I'm less of an ass than you. I never abandoned ship." This was the real test. To see if he could blade without Zeus and remain vision-free. Surely, Zeus wouldn't be able to reach him without being in the blade?

Zeus managed to throw Poseidon off then rammed into the side, pushing the blade to the opposite side of the dish. Poseidon pulled free when he neared the rim, circled around and attacked again. "I notice Zeus is missing from your blade. Is that an insult to me?" Poseidon pulled back a second time then charged forward once again, slamming into the side. Aggressive. More aggressive than usual. A reflection of the state of mind of the blader.

"I wanted to keep the playing field equal," Brooklyn replied. "No fun if it's so terribly one-sided."

That would get a rise out of him. Get him all riled up so the real fun could begin. Mystel sent his blade skywards by using the slope of the dish as support. The infamous 360 attack of the Bai Hu Clan. Plunge of death for those who didn't know how to counter or avoid it. His blade crashed back down releasing streams of water, spraying liquid in all directions.

"Poseidon, attack!" Encased in a barrier of water, Poseidon crashed down on Zeus with such force it actually made the ground shake. Brooklyn looked on. There was nothing he could do to counter that special attack. Without Zeus, he was just as vulnerable as any bitbeast-less blader. Still, his blade was endurable and powerful without its usual inhabitant.

Much to his surprise, Poseidon jumped off then pushed Zeus to the dish's edge. The slippery surface did little to throw Mystel's blade off course, but Zeus wasn't designed for that. Okay. So perhaps he had overestimated his bitbeast-less blade and underestimated Mystel's own power. No wonder the Bai Hu Clan were so eager to claim him back.

"I'm not going to fight you without Zeus, Brooklyn. If you really want to test me, it should be with your bitbeast."

Zeus's bitchip was sitting in his right pocket. He wasn't so keen to use him again after recent episodes, but Mystel had a fair point – not using Zeus was an insult. He may as well be carrying a white sign above his head reading, 'I think you're weak so I'm not using my bitbeast'. Digging a hand into his pocket, he reached for Zeus, his fingers brushing up against the bitchip. It was warm. Odd.

"Fine. You want a real battle?" He pulled the bitchip out and walked over to pick up his blade. He placed the bitchip back on then returned to his previous position and reloaded his launcher. Mystel recalled his and prepared to launch again. "Then you'll have it. Don't come crying to me when you lose." Stomach muscles tightening, Brooklyn drew in a deep breath then released his blade. How would Zeus react this time?

"You look nervous."

"I saw Mariah walk by earlier. She didn't look happy. She found out, didn't she?"

Mystel released his blade as Brooklyn did the same. The blades collided creating sparks. "What happened with Mariah has nothing to do with you." Poseidon pulled back, knowing a head on clash with Zeus wasn't wise. Play to your strengths, and for Mystel that was being unpredictable. Much like his moods really. "Need I remind you that you were the one that originally pushed her away?"

"For your own good. Zeus, counter attack!" Zeus sped across the dish in hot pursuit of his rival, but Mystel's blade narrowly avoided the charge by making a sharp turn to the right. One thing he hated about blading against Mystel – his moves were so erratic, it was irritating. When you thought he was going to go right, he'd go left. There was no other blader he knew that could make the sharp turns Mystel could. Well, there was the Bai Hu Clan of course, but no other famous blader could. Not even the mighty Hiwatari could pull off a turn like that.

"Now Poseidon! Rise!" His bitchip glowed. A burst of white light exploded from the centre. When the light faded, his marine sea creature type bitbeast appeared, wielding the golden trident in his right hand.

"Two can play that game. Zeus! Arise!"

A surge of relief poured through him as he watched his bitchip light up. At least he was listening, but for how long? Never had he felt this nervous using his blade. Who had ever heard of a blader being afraid of their own bitbeast? It was unheard of! He raised his right hand in the air and prepared to bring it down when he felt a sharp pain to the right temple. Clenching his jaw, he ignored the pain, and tried to focus on the match ahead.

Poseidon charged up the slope to gain height then flipped in the air before plummeting to the ground. Again, his blade landed directly on top and began to spin in the opposite direction to use Zeus's power against him. As soon as the reverse rotation started, the streams of water sprayed out from the blade. Purple flames soon joined the fray mixing in with the water as Zeus finally decided to show himself.

Pain, immeasurable pain, imploded in his mind. Like a migraine, but a thousand times worse. Overcome with pain, Brooklyn slumped to the ground, once again finding himself on his knees. This was worse than the previous time. Much worse. It was like the insides of his body were tearing themselves apart whilst being set alight on fire. An agonized scream tore through his throat. His scream only seemed to empower Zeus. Zeus's flames, usually coloured purple, were as black as the night.

"Brooklyn!" Someone screamed his name, but he couldn't make out whom. The only thing he could clearly hear was his own tortured scream filling the air. "You have to stop at once!"

Stop. Yes. But how? Zeus had a mind of its own. It was like he possessed by a force far greater than himself. Was it the Leviathan taking control? His thoughts were broken by the taste of blood in his mouth. Bringing a hand to his mouth, he ran a finger across his lower lip then pulled it away. Covered in blood. Nose bleed.

"Garland, do something!"

 _Feel the wrath of the Leviathan. No one defies me._

"Mystel!"

A sudden weariness gripped him. Then, there was coldness. It was as if he was standing in a pool of freezing water, and he was drowning, being slowly pulled beneath the surface. Soon, his head went under. He tried to break free of the invisible limbs holding him down, but try as he might, he could not. With oxygen failing to reach his lungs, he weakened fast, his mind beginning to spin, his brain starved of vital air.

 _You are no brother of mine._

Then… relief. He found himself able to breathe again. Gasping for air, he glanced up from the bloodied patch of grass beneath, and found Zeus had retreated into his blade. All that was left was a blackened dish as a result of the flames scorching the metal. Mystel was laying on the ground several metres away, Poseidon lying just a few inches before his face.

"What…the hell happened?" the blond said, struggling to his feet, a low groan escaping his throat moments afterwards. He reached out and grabbed his blade. As he picked it up, the pieces crumbled. The only piece remaining intact was the bitchip. His jaw dropped. "…You destroyed my blade…"

Brooklyn remained on the grass. He wished he knew too, but right now he was just happy to be alive. "Damn it Brooklyn, why'd you take the risk?" Garland said, dropping down beside him. There was annoyance, but also concern. "After what had happened last time, I thought you would've learned your lesson."

"I had to take the risk…" he said in between breathes. "…I'm not losing a teammate to the Leviathan."

"What Leviathan?" Garland demanded.

Mystel frowned. "…That's what they're searching for."

Ming Ming looked from Brooklyn to Mystel to Brooklyn again. "Can someone please tell me what is going on? Leviathan? Searching for what? Who is they?"

Forcing himself to sit upright, Brooklyn looked at his companions. His head was throbbing but at least he was breathing. His nose was still bleeding though. Pinching his nose, he leaned forward slightly to encourage the clotting process. "…We need to talk to Tyson. What I know could save their lives." He struggled to his feet. He almost fell over but Garland was there to support him.

"You really should be resting, Brooklyn."

He shook his head. "No. This can't wait." The Leviathan bitbeast was reaching out to him through Zeus. The bitbeast had mentioned previously Zeus was part of three bitbeasts responsible for breaking the three seals that binded him. But brother? Perhaps he had mistakenly assumed Poseidon was one of the bitbeasts responsible for locking him then pulled back when he realized it wasn't.

The four sacred bitbeasts. Surely, they had to be related directly to the Leviathan. Four horsemen heads of the Leviathan. Four sacred spirits. At some point they must've gone to war and the Leviathan had lost. Was history repeating itself again? He brought a hand to his right temple and rubbed it. The pieces were starting to fall together now and it had taken a match against Mystel for the connections to be made.

He looked at Mystel. The blond was still examining his blade. Well, the little that remained of it. "Your tournament is over, Mystel. Time to look to the future now." A future that involved a gathering of the best bladers. If his theory was correct, they were all in great danger.

Mystel glanced up. "You wanted this to happen, didn't you?"

"We might've gone a little overboard but we got the result we wanted," Brooklyn answered. "If we hadn't intervened, you would've lost in the tournament. I just saved you from a humiliating defeat."

He put the broken pieces of his blade back in his pocket. "…The Bai Hu Clan are still a problem. Even if they get eliminated, they're not going to stop harassing me. When they find out I can't blade for them tomorrow…" He looked away towards the horizon. After a few moments paused, he looked back, his expression forlorn. "They don't take rejection well and I can't currently defend myself."

"You can stay here with us," Ming Ming said.

Mystel shook his head. "And have you fight my battles? No."

"Then what then? You're just going to run? You said it yourself – they're not ever going to stop," Ming Ming pointed out. "And your blade needs repairing. What kind of friends would we be if we let you go alone? We've been through too much together just to let it fall apart."

The blond looked utterly confused. He was probably half-expecting them to tell him to scram and never return. "I think you're finally starting to realize what it means to be part of a true team," Garland said, smiling. "All of us actually. If there's one thing this whole ordeal has taught us it's the value of teamwork and friendship. It's brought us together as one."

He had a point. Before this, they had been a group of misfits forced to tolerate each other for the sake of it. Even Brooklyn had learned a thing or two though he'd never admit that out aloud. "Don't get all corny on me, Garland. You're starting to sound like Tyson."

"Let's save the discussion for later. Can we just go inside? I'm freezing," Ming Ming said, arms wrapped around herself.

"You heard the lady. Let's go inside."

.

Although he had been part of the Demolition Boys team twice, he had never actually bladed against Tala before. Bryan and Spencer were always the punching bags whilst Tala watched on the sidelines and judged. Every decision had to be accurate. Tala knew his moves just as well as Kai knew Tala's. They were evenly matched in terms of experience and skill. Raw power might be a different story, but Tala was no weakling. Kai knew his former partner had been withholding his true power during last year's tournament. Besides, in the end, it all came down to determination and willpower. Power could only take you so far.

"..The final dish is called the Sky Tower! Bladers can use the tower to launch aerial attacks from above or to escape the traffic below!" DJ explained as the final dish was revealed. It was similar to the previous dish only with the addition of the tower. Also, the roads were currently empty but the timer on the tower suggested there was a countdown. Bladers, are you ready?"

"Kai, I've been waiting for this," Tala said.

"And so have I, Tala," Kai replied calmly. "Maybe when you lose you'll finally understand that I'm a better blader than you."

Tala growled. "You think you're tough, Kai. But I know you better than anyone else here does. I know you better than you know yourself." He raised his launcher and prepared to pull the trigger. Tala's original gun launcher. The lazy blader's way of getting maximum power in the launch. "You've always thought yourself superior to me, but it's always been the other way around. I'm a better man than you Kai. I'm going to prove it."

Holding back a hiss, Kai prepared his blade. So it was a grudge match. Anyone unfamiliar with their history would think otherwise. There were people in the crowd holding 'Kai and Tala 4ever' signs. What on earth were these people thinking? He and Tala weren't friends. "You've always resented me ever since I arrived at the Abbey. You couldn't stand no longer being the golden child."

"I had good reason! I knew you weren't to be trusted the moment you set foot in the training dish!"

"Three…two…one… LET IT RIP!"

Tala fired his launcher as Kai jerked back his ripcord, sending his blade forwards into the fray. Wolborg charged immediately for Dranzer. Dranzer evaded the blow then moved to the opposite base of the tower. "All you wanted was Black Dranzer. You didn't care about the rest of us."

"I had no reason to care about the lot of you," Kai snarled back. Tala's bitbeast lunged for Dranzer's tail but the phoenix kicked her legs out to force the wolf back. "I wasn't there to make friends! I was there to learn and become the best blader I could be!"

"Is that that drives you, Kai? Wanting to attain perfection you'll never reach?"

He uttered a deep growl. "You're such a hypocrite, Tala. You wanted to be the best just as much as I did. That's why you despised me. Because I was stronger and I will show you why! Dranzer!" His phoenix gained height then swooped down, raking her talons forwards to claw at the wolf's eyes. Wolborg ducked then jumped up, gnashing his jaws at Dranzer's tail hoping to grab hold. Dranzer twisted out of the way just missing the canine's teeth by a mere inch.

Tala gave a dry laugh. "You're so full of yourself, Kai. Everything always has to be about you in the end, but you're wrong. When we were first inducted into the Abbey, we made a promise we'd always be there for each other. Always and forever. Do you remember those words?" Wolborg lunged at Dranzer, and managed to tackle the avian to the ground. The canine lunged with his jaws and clamped them around the phoenix's neck. Dranzer raked her talons, digging her claws deep, forcing Wolborg to release his grip.

Kai remembered. He had only been five years old at the time. Tala had been placed in his training group. He was the only one who had even bothered to talk to him. Everyone else just saw Kai as competition. "That was a long time ago, Tala. We were just children back then without any understanding of the world around us. Do you really believe a promise a child made would stand the length of time?"

Wolborg bared his teeth and lunged again. Dranzer fought back with her talons, doing her best to strike the canine in the eyes to blind him temporarily. "We both swore an oath, Kai. You chose not to respect that by running away. Guess who suffered the most when you fled? We did. Spencer. Bryan. Ian. Myself."

"And how was that my fault?" Kai countered. Dranzer pulled free of Wolborg and flew to the top of the tower. Tala's blade chased Dranzer up the side determined not to let Dranzer pull away too far ahead. "Dranzer, counter-attack!" The blades slammed into each other. A fierce battle for domination began as each blade tried to push the other back.

"You abandoned us, Kai!" Tala seethed, throwing an accusatory glare at him. "You left us behind in the Abbey to suffer while you escaped! We were supposed to be brothers, but in the end you only serve yourself! You have no understanding of what it means to be loyal!" Wolborg howled. Razor sharp snowflakes whipped around him as the windstorm intensified. One of the snowflakes brushed up against his arm immediately cutting into the skin. Flesh parted, and crimson red blood poured out. "I've said it before, but you're just like Voltaire. You're even worse than Voltaire. At least Voltaire remained loyal to his people."

Hot anger poured through his body. Like Voltaire? "I am _nothing_ like him!" he hissed.

"You're every bit the same monster as your grandfather and you know that I am right!" The two bitbeasts tackled each other and rolled across the stadium dish's floor. "Wolborg, use Ice Storm!" Wolborg pulled back, sat down on his haunches and howled. His eyes glowed white. A mysterious spirit of a woman reflected in the canine's eyes as vicious blizzard whipped up around them.

Within seconds, the entire dish was encased in ice. Wolborg's power wasn't just limited to the dish – the entire stadium floor was covered in ice too. "If you have jumpers here, you might want to put them on now because this battle just got cold!" DJ announced.

Fortunately, Kai was adapted to fighting in these conditions. Joining the Blitzkrieg Boys last year had paid off after all. Those long months training in the wildest of environments had been useful. Still, his blade wasn't quite as good as skirting across the ice as Wolborg was. "Dranzer, use Blazing Gig Tempest!" Dranzer raced up the tower a second time determined to get to the peak. Once she reached the top, the phoenix spread her wings and unleashed razor sharp feathers.

"Dodge it, Wolborg!" Wolborg skirted across the ice, moving from side to side to avoid being struck.

Kai held back an irritated growl. He couldn't use his fire attacks right now. He had to have a sturdy position at the tower peak to even consider taking the risk otherwise Dranzer would be washed away by the water and her flames would be doused. "Voltaire's blood might run through my veins, but that's where the similarities end! I left Balkov Abbey to get away from him! If I could've taken you all with me, I would've, but I was in no condition to do that!"

"Is that how you justify it? If you really cared you would've come back to help us! I know the truth, Kai! Black Dranzer scarred you and you couldn't handle it so you ran like a coward! You were never one of us! I know you used me last year to get to the top!" Wolborg charged forward. As he ran, icicles protruded up. He ran around the dish creating a barricade of some kind.

Tala was obviously setting up for a special attack. Kai knew he had to act fast and end this battle before Tala was able to make it that far. He threw a hand upwards, sending Dranzer up high into the sky. He then brought his hand and Dranzer followed nailing Wolborg hard from above. The collision created a crack in the ice.

"I am no coward, Tala!"

"Then why do you keep running?!"

Kai held his tongue. He wasn't running away from anything; he was running towards his goal – to be the greatest blader to ever play the game. That goal had changed slightly now. Losing to Tyson again had taught him that. Now it was simply to be a legend of the game. "You're wrong, Tala. I'm not running away. I'm running forwards whilst you cling onto the past. You're the coward afraid to move on."

Tala gritted his teeth. Clenching a fist, he held it up before him. "Wolborg, activate special attack! Freezing Pulse!" The temperature in the stadium plummeted to single digits. Wolborg emitted a mournful chilling howl as all the fallen snowflakes rose up. Kai ordered Dranzer to pull back. This was a move he knew nothing about. Tala had never mentioned it nor had he caught him practicing a new move. "You have your fancy moves, I have mine. Maybe if you had stuck around a little longer, you would've learned something."

"Pull back Dranzer!"

"Now Wolborg, Polar Beam!" All the snowflakes merged into one creating a spear of some kind. A layer of ice encased the spear and hovered above Wolborg ready to be thrown. Before Dranzer could react, the spear was thrown at surprising speed, firing much like a canon. Dranzer was struck hard in the chest, throwing Dranzer aside roughly like a rag doll. The avian skidded across the ice and into the icicle wall. The impact was so great Kai staggered backwards.

 _Seems like Tala does have some power after all,_ Kai thought grimly. Dranzer was hammered into the wall again. Tala was holding nothing back. He wasn't giving Dranzer a chance to break free. "You think you've won this but you're sadly mistaken. Dranzer, reverse spin!" If there was one skill Kai had over Tyson it was his ability to force his blade to rotate in the opposite direction. The gears in the blade clicked then reversed, allowing Dranzer to absorb Wolborg's energy to use as his own.

Dranzer pushed Wolborg back. "Wolborg, use Ice Storm!"

"Dranzer, fly!"

The chase began. Dranzer sped towards the tower followed closely by Wolborg snapping at her tail feathers. More icicles protruded upwards from the floor as snowflakes and snowballs pelted the surface. The vicious winds lashed at his skin, cutting deep into the flesh. Kai clamped his jaw shut, trying to ignore the stinging as Dranzer continued to climb the tower. It all came down to this.

Snowballs pelted Dranzer's back. Each successful strike pulled Dranzer back down a few inches, but his phoenix continued to climb. Sheer determination kept his bitbeast going. "Wolborg!" Tala called out throwing a fist into the air, calling upon more power.

Kai called out in pain and dropped to his knees. Tala's snowstorm had whited out the entire stadium. He could barely make out his own arm let alone the dish itself. He growled again, wincing from the pain, as snow and ice lashed his skin. A battle not just against Wolborg but the elements as well. "Dranzer! Fire Tempest!" Forcing himself to his feet, Kai summoned all the power he could muster to give Dranzer more energy.

Fireballs plummeted to the ground cracking the ice. Water burst up from the cracks, spilling out onto the dish and stadium, seeping into the soles of his shoes. Flames were sucked into the vortex of the blizzard mixing in with the ice and snow. Fireballs flung in various directions. More ice cracked as the flames intensified as the blizzard weakened. "No! Wolborg!"

Water was rapidly rising. He could feel it up to his ankles now. "Dranzer, finish it!" An aura of flames radiated from the phoenix's body. Dranzer cawed, pulled her wings back then dove, spiralling towards Wolborg. The stadium shook as both fire and ice collided. He squeezed his eyes shut upon impact. Explosion. He couldn't see it because of the blinding light but he certainly felt it as he was thrown back a couple of metres into the rising water.

Slowly, he climbed back to his feet to observe the aftermath. Immediately, he looked to the tower. Relief poured through him. Dranzer was still at the top. Unfortunately, for Tala, Wolborg was in the water. "What happened in the past is history, Tala," Kai said, in between deep breaths. "Just like your team." He held out his hand to recall Dranzer as the crowd erupted into applause. Without waiting for Tala to reply, he turned his back and headed back to the bench. Tyson threw a fist into the air.

"Way to show him, Kai!"

Kai nodded. "It was nothing." Not entirely true. His blade had taken a severe beating there. Most likely there were a few serious internal injuries to his blade that would need immediate attention. It wasn't just his blade that had sustained injuries – fortunately, his scarf was covering it. "I'm going to check up on Max. You head back to the room and check up on the latest news regarding Rei's blade. I'll be with you shortly."

Tyson frowned, but then nodded. "Sure thing, Kai."

He probably suspected something was wrong, but Tyson knew better than to argue with him. The blader retreated towards their room whilst Kai walked in the opposite direction, taking a different hallway. When he knew there was no one else around, he leaned into the nearby wall, and moved his scarf over his shoulder. A shard of ice protruded from just beneath his left ribcage.

Gritting his teeth, he placed his hand over it and slowly pulled it out. A hiss of pain escaped his throat, but he continued to pull it out, ignoring the blood splashing over his hand. Eventually, he yanked it out then dropped it on the floor. Covering his wound with his hand, he slowly stumbled down the hallway, each step harder than the last.

"Kai?"

He saw blond hair. Max. He cracked a smile. He had recovered well as expected.

"Kai!"

Before he could speak, his knees gave way and he toppled over onto the ground, Max's voice screaming in the background.


	22. Protectors of the Earth

Thanks to cutetyhil and unaisa memon for reviewing the previous chapter.

 **.**

 **Chapter Twenty One: Protectors of the Earth**

Emily had left. Gone, and this time for good. He hadn't been able to find her at South Bank in Brisbane. Now he was here in New Zealand without any hope of tracking her down at all. Most likely she had booked a flight home and was already looking for other places to work at. He looked down the mountainside, feeling a great weight on his shoulders, his eyes resting on Lake Wakatipu.

They were in the heart of mountains of New Zealand's south island in the tourist city, Queenstown. Thousands of people from all over the globe had come here for the finals which were gearing up to the greatest of them all. To pass a bit of time before the big match day, people skied, took jet boat tours, went bungee and trumping, mountain treks and much more. The city was abuzz with life.

Michael wasn't having any of it. He was currently standing outside the Sky Restaurant overlooking the place. People were queuing for the gondola line which was the only way to reach the restaurant on atop of a rough cliff side. He hated to think of how many people were waiting on the bottom. Tuning the rest of the bystanders out, he looked down at the mountain base.

A beautiful city, but there was no joy to be felt. The All Stars had been knocked out once again, but this was worse. Max and Rick might've represented the team last year, but they were still a team. Now? They were broken. No Emily. His entire fault. She had left because he had given her little choice. "I hope you're happy wherever you are," he murmured, as a gentle but cold breeze brushed up against his skin and rustled his hair.

He remained overlooking the lake for a few moments longer then glanced down at the time on his phone. Twenty four hours until match time. The Bladebreakers must be on edge. The Horsemen had yet to show their true capabilities automatically having gone through to the finals as a result of the Bai Hu Clan dropping out due to unforeseen change in circumstances. A shame really. It would've been one heck of a match to watch.

"Michael?"

A female's voice. One he recognized all too well. He turned around and spotted Emily standing a few feet away, dressed in clothes not unlike her usual self. She was wearing a red strapless dress, her hair fell around her shoulders, and she was even wearing make-up. And were they… golden earrings? It was as if she was heading out to a party… or a date. She wasn't even wearing her infamous pair of glasses today. Must've opted for contacts for one night.

"Emily?" he replied, almost lost for words.

She brought her hands together, fingers curling around the other, and fidgeted. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

He pulled back from the railing. "I didn't expect to see you here either. I thought you had gone, Emily." A wash of relief poured through him. She might've left the team but she was here now and that's all that mattered. Maybe he could reach out to her… Be honest with her before it was too late. Maybe he could change her mind. He looked her up and down then said, "Important date?"

She nodded. "I'm meeting with Miguel."

Of course. Miguel. Emily wouldn't dress up like this for just any guy. Maybe… It was for the best. If Emily truly loved the blond then just standing in her way would only add to her unhappiness. Maybe it was best just to let go. "Miguel, eh?" He tried to keep his voice steady. He even tried to put on a fake smile. No point in being hostile and making her feel more uncomfortable than she already did.

"Yeah, Miguel."

"Emily…"

She held a hand up. "There's no need for apologies, Michael. What has happened has and it can't be reversed. You made it very clear how you felt – I don't want to a burden to you or the team. Stepping back is the best thing I can do," she said softly.

"You're not a burden to us, Emily."

"Please… just stop," she replied. "I've thought a lot about this. You can't change my mind, Michael. You and I just can't work together and I've only just realized it now." She unclasped her hands.

He was losing her. Talking only made things worse, but he couldn't stop himself. "So this is it then? You're just going to walk out on us without even saying a proper goodbye? You're not just walking away from a team, Em. You're walking away from the PPB."

"Sometimes you just have to learn to move on," she said tonelessly.

"You can't be serious. You gave everything you had and more to the PPB and you just want to walk away from that?" Was Emily even hearing herself? No one in their mind would ever walk away from the PPB.

"I didn't want to walk from the PPB, Michael, but I _had_ to. How do you expect me to remain working in a place where I don't feel like my services are needed." She took a step towards him, her eyes narrowing. "You're right – I gave my heart and soul to the company, but it's time for me to move on."

Most people now would just walk away and accept the battle was over, but Michael didn't consider himself to be a quitter. Cocky. Bull-headed. Obnoxious. Insensitive. But never a quitter. "Then say it – look straight at me and tell me this is what you want. That you're happy to walk away from the world's top science facility for what? For love?" He forced a humourless laugh. "To be with Miguel? The guy who didn't have the balls to turn down Barthaz the moment he knew they'd rely on cheating tactics to get through?"

"Don't you dare bring Miguel into this, Parker," Emily retorted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Miguel has done more for me than you have ever done in a life time of knowing you. He treats me with respect. He makes me feel like an actual person rather than just some tool to keep around to use when needed. That's why I'm leaving. Would it have hurt you to actually treat me like a person for once?"

He tried to speak back, but words failed him. A lump formed in his throat. Had he ever really shown her kindness? Sure, he had stood by her when Rick and Max had taken over, but that was it. It wasn't like he could recall doing other nice things for her. "…I just… I don't know." _Way to go, Michael,_ he told himself. _That's certainly convincing._ "I don't want you to leave."

"But I have and there's no turning back. You just have to accept that. I don't have to take orders from you anymore," Emily replied, taking another step closer to him, her eyes fixed on his own. "This is where we part for good. Maybe now you'll realize what it feels like to be hurt." Without saying another word, she turned her back and retreated indoors, leaving Michael standing outside in the cold.

.

"So let me get this straight… When you said meeting it's just your formal way of saying 'party' right?" Tyson said, looking around the room, taking note of the large number of people standing beneath the same ceiling. Celebrations over the win against the Demolition Boys had been short. The moment they had won, Robert had immediately sent a text message to meet at the Earnslaw Lodge.

The entire hotel had been cleared out to allow the bladers maximum privacy. He wondered just how much Robert had paid them to take the day off. The captain of the Majestics was sitting at the opposite end of the table, a large brown book with a leather casing before him. "Not a party, Tyson. We are having a social gathering of minds."

That was one way of putting it, but something was missing. Johnny and Enrique were present. The Saint Shields were there too. Unexpected faces included Salima and Kane. Apparently, Robert had encountered the duo last night at a VIP 'social gathering'. Some faces were missing. Kai and Max were nowhere to be seen.

"We can't have a discussion without Max and Kai. They're part of the team too," Kenny said.

"We don't have much time," Robert noted. "You have less than twenty four hours before you step into the dish one last time in this tournament. The less time we spend chatting, the more time you have to practice."

"This isn't right," Tyson said, looking towards the door again. He half-expected Kai and Max to burst through at any moment, but it never came. What was taking them so long? Maybe Max was still at the doctor's office and Kai was waiting for him like a good team captain? "…But fine. What do you have to tell us that can't possibly wait?"

Ozuma was the first to answer. He was currently leaning against the wall with one leg pressed it against, his shoulders folded across his chest. "The Leviathan comes Tyson. I've seen it in my visions and my clan elders have confirmed it to be so. Our duty is to protect your bitbeasts – that's why we're here now. To ensure the sacred bitbeasts do not fall into the wrong hands."

"…And they're doing a pretty piss poor job at it too," Johnny interjected, sending a wayward glance in Mariam's direction. The blue-haired female turned her nose up and looked the other way. Tyson frowned. "…Their lot didn't even manage to defeat one Horsemen."

"…Which we know is no easy task to achieve," Robert answered. "We all witnessed their battles during the qualifying rounds. We all felt our bitbeasts react to their presence. The Saint Shields losing would've happened to any of us. It just so happened the Saint Shields were first."

Johnny flopped down onto a nearby couch and stretched himself across it, his hands resting behind his head. "For a team that is supposed to have a connection with this sort of shit, you'd think they'd be better at their jobs."

"And what would you have us to, Johnny? We knew little about the Leviathan," Dunga retorted, his fingers curling into fists, as if preparing for a fight. "Maybe if your team hadn't been so chicken, all this mess could've been prevented long before. All you had to do was open the book and read the passages."

"Wait, what book?" Hilary said.

"And since when did your two teams know each other?" Rei added, looking from the Majestics to the Saint Shields then back to the Majestics again.

"Everyone knows about the Majestics," Mariam concluded. "They're the stuck up snob team made up of pampered over-privileged brats." She then looked at Johnny. "Some more bratty than others."

Johnny sat up immediately and glared. "At least we're not stupid… Unlike you. You stole our book in the middle of the night at the hospital from Oliver, thinking it would be so easy as simply reading a few words."

"If we knew a single word of German then we wouldn't even be here in this room conversing with you," Mariam fired back. "We're only here so we can learn more about this Leviathan and how to stop it before more people get hurt."

Rei stood up and raised his hands. "Hold on. This is supposed to be a meeting of minds, not a war of words. Aren't we all friends here? Just what exactly is going on?"

Johnny refused to speak, and Mariam wasn't making things easier either. Enrique smiled. "….Mariam defeated Johnny in a beybattle."

"Shut it, Enrique."

Robert sighed, and rubbed his temples, obviously a little stressed. "Can we please stay on topic? We're here to talk about the Leviathan and nothing else. Your personal matters can be addressed after," the captain said, giving Johnny a look of disappointment. Johnny rolled his eyes and laid back on the couch again. "We know the Leviathan was the first bitbeast to be created."

"He was also the first bitbeast to fall and become what is known as the darkness of today," Ozuma added. "Shortly after Stanley's unfortunate death, I received a vision from the beast warning of dark days to come. The end is nigh, it said."

"They were the same words Max and I saw on a wall in the abandoned alleyways back in Japan," Rei pointed out, frowning. "We were attacked at the café. We chased the blade down and it led us there. You think it was a fore-telling?"

Robert nodded. "Ozuma is able to receive visions of a possible future thanks to the powers of his bitbeast. Ozuma heard 'the end is nigh' in his vision and that became a reality. There are many things we do not yet understand of our bitbeasts, but we know not to take these visions lightly."

"I haven't had any visions since that day," Ozuma started, pulling away from the wall. "I'm not sure why, but I'd say the Leviathan has targeted another. Perhaps I wasn't the one he was seeking."

"Brooklyn," Tyson said. "Who else could it be?"

"We also ran into the Dark Bladers who confirmed the Leviathan has been freed from his cage. My teammates and I were responsible for cursing them into the darkness and thus it only makes sense they can feel its presence." Robert stood up and paced back and forth. "Oliver made sense of the words in the book of my ancestors."

"And what does it say?" Joseph said.

Enrique supplied an answer. "In short it basically says we're all screwed."

Robert looked at Tyson. "As mentioned previously, the Leviathan was the first bitbeast to be created, but he proved to be dangerous and thus was cast down into the pit known as purgatory. In Catholic doctrine, it's a place of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven."

"To help seal away the Leviathan, Gaia created more bitbeasts to counter the threat to protect humankind," Ozuma added.

Salima cleared her throat and spoke up. "We have the prehistoric bitbeasts of the Ice Age and before to the ancient and medieval bitbeasts and to the modern era ones that are discovered today. It was wrongly assumed your sacred bitbeasts were the oldest… but they're not. The sacred bitbeasts were the first ones with pure souls. Gaia used them to help create the three seals to lock the Leviathan away."

"And that's why they're important to us all," Ozuma further added. "That's why my people wanted to capture the sacred bitbeasts. We mistakenly believed they would become corrupted if in the wrong hands so we wanted to stop you and seal them away forever. Fortunately, you helped us realize that was not the case."

"So you're saying we're the only ones who can beat the Horsemen then?" Rei said, pulling his gaze from Salima to look at Ozuma. "Because our bitbeasts were responsible for sealing the Leviathan away before."

"It's a theory, but it's a plausible one," Ozuma said.

Tyson looked up from his blade. "When you bring up seals, what do you mean? I don't remember hearing of any mysterious doors being opened."

"The seals aren't exactly doors," Robert said. "They're bitbeasts created by the Leviathan before he was sealed away. The Fallen Phoenix, the Hound of Chaos and the Prince of Darkness… Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

"Black Dranzer, Cerberus and Zeus," Kenny concluded. "Kai broke the first seal by using Black Dranzer. Cerberus was unlocked when he was placed in Zeo's blade. And Zeus… Brooklyn must've allowed him into his blade. But why the Horsemen?"

"My ancestors said in the book they experienced a rough period of time of war, famine, pestilence and death," Robert said. "They believed the Leviathan was responsible for this as he was associated with evil. They called it the end of humanity. The apocalypse. When the world is near its end, the Four Horsemen will rise. Gaia created bitbeasts to protect humankind. The Leviathan wants to see us destroyed hence why he was locked away in the first place."

Kenny scratched his head. "All right… So we know about the Leviathan and the Four Horsemen… But how did the team even get the bitbeasts inside their blades? If the Leviathan is so powerful, how could anything tame it?"

"That's where I come in," said another voice. All heads turned to the front door. Judy was at the entrance accompanied with Max, Kai, Tyson's own father and grandfather and Max's dad, Trevor. Tyson was alarmed to see a thick white bandage wrapped around Kai's ribs and waist. Before he could even ask questions, Judy spoke. "I was there when the Leviathan was extracted. I saw it with my own eyes and felt its power. I'm here to help you stop it."

"Dad?" Tyson repeated, stunned. The last time he had seen his father had been just before the Russian tournament.

The man walked over to greet his son, but there was little time to exchange hugs and warm greetings. "I was the one who found the entrance to the Leviathan's gate. It was in the mining town of Mt Isa in Queensland. Douglas recruited me to uncover it, and I had little choice but to take orders."

There was a thick white bandage wrapped around Judy's head too. Her ex-partner stood close to her side, a hand wrapped around her waist, as if to keep her close. "Douglas is behind this. He started PPB for this reason – to develop the technology to extract the Leviathan into the perfect beyblades. You remember King and Queen? Douglas enlisted them after their exit in the second tournament to collect parts. Whilst they collected the parts, Douglas had us working on the next step in beyblade technology. He had been planning for this moment for years now."

That was a lot of information to absorb. No wonder Robert had brought all these people together. The more minds, the easier it was to make sense of all of this. It was all so complex. "Then who shot Stanley Dickenson? Douglas?" Tyson said.

Judy should her head. "Douglas is not a murderer. His aim here is to simply prove that science is stronger than spirit. I don't think even he realizes just what monstrosity he has released upon the world. Someone else was behind the shooting of Stanley Dickenson. Another player in the game of thrones… But we mustn't think of that now. Defeating the Horsemen is your primary goal. Everything else can wait."

Kai slowly limped over to the couch Johnny was lounging on and sat down. He visibly cringed, but didn't make a sound. Tyson frowned, concerned. Kai must've sustained an injury during the match with Tala and typically he had kept quiet about it. So that's why he had gone in the direction Max had taken. "We'll defeat them," he said, a hand resting on the bandages.

"You look like you're going to fall apart at any moment," Johnny pointed out displeased Kai was sitting so close. "Are you sure you can even battle? You know your teammates can't hold your hand."

Kai's only answer was a glare in Johnny's direction. If looks could kill, Johnny would be dead, but the Scotsmen just snickered. "It's not going to be so simple," Judy said. "We still don't understand the true power of the Leviathan. You'll each be fighting a fragment of him, but each Horsemen will be tougher than any other opponent you've battled. Stronger than Black Dranzer. Stronger than Cerberus and Zeus. Even the three of those bitbeasts combined is no match."

"Then how are we supposed to win if we're going up against that much power?" Rei said. "From what you're all saying it's impossible."

"The Horsemen have special beyblades… Judy and I have adapted that technology and created our own to counter it," Trevor said, digging a hand into his pocket. He pulled out a beyblade. "We call it New Magnesium Beyblade. It's strong, but also incredibly light. Your blades will neither melt nor take chip damage. It'll be able to endure everything the Horsemen throw at you. With your bitbeasts inside it, you'll be able to achieve maximum power unlike anything you've experienced before."

Kenny stood up and walked over. He picked it up, turned it around to examine all edges then gave it back. "That's amazing," he commented. Then, "…We don't have a lot of time to practice with the Magnesium Beyblade."

"I'm sure you'll be able to master it. The stronger the bond with your bitbeast, the easier controlling the blade becomes. There is a downside however," Judy said, glancing sideways at her partner. She then looked back. "It's very physically and mentally demanding. Your battles have to be short. Long battles will only weaken you. Possible side effects include headaches, cramps, and in worse cases, vomiting."

"We'll take the risks," Kai said.

"Fortunately, we've designed the blades already. All you need to do is insert your bitchips and the blades will be ready to go," Judy said.

"So it's settled then. You have the power to match them," Robert said.

"We're all depending on you," Ozuma said.

"Don't fuck it up or we'll regret losing to you," Johnny added.

Tyson stood up. "Talk about pressure."

"You're not alone, Tyson. We're all here for you," Kane said.

"All right, enough talk before this turns into one of those cheesy scenes from a bad movie," Kai said.

"Aw but Kai, I love those movies," Dunga said.

Mariam rolled her eyes. "He cried during Bambi."

"That was sad!" Dunga defended.

Several bladers laughed. "You can celebrate later," Kai said. "We've got a job to do." He stood up. Taking cautious steps, he wandered over to the entrance. "Judy, show me the blades."

Hilary looked at Tyson. Tyson just shrugged as if to say, 'what do you expect me to do about it?' "When we win, we'll celebrate like there's no tomorrow, but Kai's right. Let's get the job done first." He followed Kai's footsteps eager to see the new blades for himself. The rest of the Avengers followed afterwards. "The Horsemen are going to learn they're screwing with the wrong people."

.

Forced out of the tournament thanks to meddling bladers outside their clan. It was unthinkable, really, that a clan as powerful as theirs had been forced to resign. Kevlin jumped down from the tree then flipped his white ponytail over his shoulder, his sapphire blue eyes alight with anger. "We shouldn't have ever trusted him. Mystel was always a traitor. He was never loyal to us in the first place."

Dohna nodded, her eyes looking towards their leader, and her father, Master Li. The man was sitting on the grass with his legs crossed, his arms resting on his knees. He was in his early forties, but he looked much older. The years had not been so kind to him. His tanned skin was marked by wounds that had never healed. Scars of battle. On his face he bore the markings of their forefathers – two deep cuts on his cheekbones, and one over his right eye.

"He needs to pay for his treachery," Dohna said. "You said it yourself, father. Once part of the clan, always part of the clan. We can't allow Mystel to walk free."

"He needs to suffer," Kevlin added.

Master Li opened his eyes and looked up. "Mystel will be made to repent for his crimes in time, but we have other matters to focus on."

"The prophecy," Kevin and Dohna said in unison.

"Yes."

The age old prophecy the forefathers had claimed would someday come to fruition. For centuries they had been preparing for this – for judgement day. "The day will come when sinners will be punished for their misdoings. The Beast will awaken after and his followers will be rewarded for their loyalty," Dohna said, repeating the words repeated by the forefathers. "A ritual of the Old Blood must be performed for the Beast to rise."

"The first part was the killing of a wise old man within thirty days of a new moon." It was believed the death of an old man before a new moon would release his spirit back into the world and become reborn in the form of a new baby.

"Which we've done by killing Stanley before the new moon," Dohna answered. "That was completed by you, Kevlin."

"The second is to kill a cow and drink the milk mixed with blood." Cows were sacred animals of the clan as they provided milk to the people. The killing of a cow was only done as a last resort if food was scarce.

"That task falls upon me," Dohna said. "And the last?"

Kevlin continued. "The third part is to take the ashes of a man of faith and drink it." This was done to purify the surrounding land. A man or woman of faith was said to have a stronger connection to nature and thus drinking it meant ingesting their spirit in turn making you spiritually stronger. "That part is all Mystel. Once all parts are fulfilled, then the ultimate sacrifice can be made and the Beast will awaken."

"All those that dare oppose us will be stopped."

"Master Li, how do you wish us to proceed?" Dohna said. Now that they were out of the tournament, they had heaps of time to work on fulfilling the prophecy. The rest of the bladers were distracted with the Leviathan allowing them free reign to work. "The others are distracted. The cow will not be a problem, but what about the ashes of a man of faith? Whom did you have in mind?"

"Tao, the spiritual leader of the White Tiger Tribe." Master Li climbed to his feet. "He's outlived his time, and now he must pay the price."

.

After the loss to the Avengers, Tala had taken his team to Arrowtown for a day trip just to get away from the crowds. The rest of the boys were enjoying the sights and sounds whilst Tala had opted to stay at the café to check his emails. Sometimes, a few hours break from the team was necessary, especially when everyone's spirits were low. Tempers tended to flare and Tala didn't feel like arguing right now.

He opened his laptop, sorted out the internet WiFi connection, then brought up his inbox. Ten emails. Seven were spam, two were from some fans that had somehow gotten his email address and the last was from the anonymous sender. Voltaire. Tala looked left and right to make sure his teammates weren't in sight then opened the message.

 _I saw you battle at the world tournament. It's a shame you boys lost, but I know you gave it your best. Perhaps it's for the best that you had lost – your talents are best put to use elsewhere and I know you'll be keen to help. After all, what else can you do now?_

Tala read the message again to make sure he hadn't skipped over anything. Voltaire had access to a television. He was out. But whereabouts was he hiding? Who bailed him out? He considered ignoring the message but decided against it. Voltaire was a stubborn persistent fool. He wasn't going to stop pestering him until Tala answered.

 _What do you want?_ Tala typed into the white text box. _Why are you bothering me? Find someone else to do your dirty work because I will never serve under you again._ He hit the send button. When he refreshed his inbox a few moments later, he was surprised to see another message. Voltaire was obviously online right now. He opened the message again.

 _Ah, at last you respond. I was beginning to think that I might have to see you in person instead, but that will no longer be necessary. I want you to rejoin me again, Tala. You and the rest of the Demolition Boys. We will be strong once again._

Tala couldn't help it – he laughed. A few locals glanced in his direction, but he ignored them. Rejoin Voltaire? Yeah right. The man was starting to turn senile in his old age. Perhaps jail had messed with head even more? _Didn't you get the message the first time? I would rather die than work for you again, Voltaire. So what's the deal then? You want to steal bitbeasts again and use them as weapons of war? Is that why you murdered Stanley?_ Again, he hit the send button. Several moments later he received another message.

 _I understand you want to blame me for murdering Stanley, but I can assure you, I had nothing to do with his death. That wouldn't be great for my comeback, Tala. As for my plan? It's simple - unite all bitbeasts under the rule of the Creator – Gaia._

Tala raised an eyebrow. Gaia? Voltaire hadn't mentioned this before and neither had Boris. _What nonsense are you talking about?_

 _Gaia is the Creator of all bitbeasts. You didn't bitbeasts just sprouted out of the ground, did you? No – everything has a beginning. We can lure Gaia out and then take her power for our own and make the world cower before our feet. Wouldn't you like that, Tala? To have power like you've never felt before at your fingertips?_

Surely, Voltaire had to be on drugs? This was all nonsense! A God of bitbeasts? What was next? A bitbeast equivalent of Satan? _I don't believe a single word you say, Voltaire. I have no reason to trust you. You once said Black Dranzer was unstoppable – that turned out to be a lie, just like how you told us we were special soldiers. You're nothing but a liar._

 _I can show you proof, Tala. After the world tournament is over, fly back home and return to Moscow. Visit Balkov Abbey and I can tell you everything. You will believe me when you see it with your own eyes. Good day to you._

Return to Balkov Abbey? The place had been turned into a science laboratory now. Why would Voltaire want him to go there? Unless… Unless there was something there to see. Voltaire was no fool. He wouldn't put something on the plate unless he knew there was interest in it. He leaned back in his chair. A part of him was curious to learn more about the nature and history of their bitbeasts, but to hear it from Voltaire?

"I won, squirt," came Bryan's voice.

Tala brought the laptop lid down and glanced at his approaching teammates. "You're back early."

Spencer lifted a brow. "What's wrong, Tala? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He snorted. Yeah right. He wasn't scared of Voltaire. "Fan mail. Some people are borderline creepy."

"You cheated, Bryan," Ian pointed out, glaring up at the taller blader. "You picked up the golf ball and dropped it down the hole. That doesn't count."

Bryan shrugged. "So? I still won. I was leading the entire way."

"But that makes it too easy, Bryan," Ian whined.

Bryan ran a hand through Ian's hair messing it up. Sniggering, he pulled back just as Ian tried to hit him. "You have to do whatever it takes to win, squirt. I thought ahead." He then turned to Tala. "What's up? Some fan trying to organize a webcam chat session?"

A visible shudder raced down his spine. That had been an awful mistake. "I was just wondering what you were thinking of doing when we arrive home." There'd be another tournament next year, but was there really any point in competing at the top level again?

The three Demolition Boys exchanged glances. "No idea, actually. Never thought that far ahead," Bryan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Taking Ming Ming out on a proper date?" Spencer said.

Ian wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "No!" Bryan snapped.

Tala didn't even want to know what this was about. Bryan and Ming Ming? Sounded like a recipe for disaster… or a set up for a bad horror movie. "…I'm not even going to ask."

"So, what's up, Tala? Why'd you ask?" Spencer said.

Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair. Now how to tell them he was thinking of retiring the team name? "I just wanted to know what your future plans are, that's all."

"Train for the next world tournament?" Ian said.

Tala shook his head. "We gave it everything we have, Ian. I think it's time that we think about leaving professional beyblading behind us." Silence greeted his words. They were shocked, understandable, but they'd come around to his way of thinking soon. "Look, I know we wanted to win, but we don't have to prove our strength in the beystadium. We can do other things." Like learn more about this Gaia bitbeast from Voltaire.

"You want us to leave?" Ian said.

"Of course not. We'll always be together, but just not as a team anymore," Tala replied.

Spencer stroked his chin. "Tala raises a fair point. We lost to the Avengers."

"So what do you want do to then?"

"I want to study history."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Study?"

"There's an exhibition happening at Balkov Abbey Laboratory. It's on bitbeasts. I think it would be interesting to check it out and learn a little more about our own bitbeasts. It happens after the tournament."

Ian frowned. "Sounds kinda boring, Tala."

"You don't have to come along."

"Maybe Tala's meeting a mysterious girl," Bryan teased. "You've never shown much interest in history before… But hey. Whatever. As long as you're not leaving us, I don't what you do."

Spencer didn't say anything. Did he suspect? Fortunately, the blond didn't ask questions. "Well, we can worry about post-tournament life later. Ian wanted to visit the ice-cream stall."

"I'll see you three back at the hotel."

Sniggering, Bryan said, "Maybe you do have a secret girlfriend?"

"Guilty."

"Come on let's go before the ice-cream stall shuts!" Ian said, tugging on Spencer's shirt.

"See you soon, Tala."


	23. The Beyblading Spirit

Thanks to Drazilla and The-next-who-know-who for reviewing the previous chapter.

 **.**

 **Chapter Twenty Two: The Beyblading Spirit**

Tyson glanced out the windowsill watching the sun rise from beyond the snow-capped alps. Not a single cloud in the red sky. Normally, a clear day like this would lift his spirits, but with the knowledge of the Leviathan looming in the back of his mind, it was hard to feel anything but nerves.

"Red sky at night, sailors' delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning," said Rei, gazing up at the sky.

"Nothing but a weather proverb," Tyson replied, turning away from the windowsill.

Rei pulled away. "You're nervous too, aren't you? I couldn't sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about the Leviathan imagining some giant serpent creature unleashing chaos." He made a derisive snort, flipping his ponytail back over his shoulder. "Sometimes I wish I could just wake up and tell myself it was all just a dream… But it's not. The Leviathan is very real and we're the only ones who can stop it."

"We have to believe in ourselves and in each other," Tyson said, looking towards the team. They were currently being debriefed by Kai and Hilary whilst Kenny was doing a last minute check on the blades. "Our faith keeps us strong." He looked at Rei and smiled. "I'm glad you returned to the team, Rei. I thought you, Max, and Kai were done."

"Hey, I wouldn't miss this for the world, Tyson." His smile faltered. Digging a hand into his pocket, he searched for his Driger then pulled it out. "This is my last tournament, and I want to finish it on a high. Douglas wants to ruin what beyblading is – Driger and I won't stand for it," he added, curling his fingers around his blade.

"Douglas won't win."

Silence. Then, "We should probably see what Hilary and Kai are talking about. Don't want Kai biting our heads off later," Rei said, gesturing towards them. Tyson nodded. An angry injured Kai was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

"…It's going to be a four vs four match," Hilary said.

Four vs four. It was like the Bega League tournament again. "We've decided that Rei will blade first since he didn't blade in the last round," Kai said, pointing to the butcher paper on the table. Kai and Hilary had spent the last hour determining the line up. "Max will blade after. It'll give him a bit of extra recovery time from his injuries sustained during the Demolition Boys battle."

That made sense. Everyone needed to be at their top level. Every extra moment of rest counted. "Kai's decided he'll blade after Max," Hilary said.

Tyson frowned. "But Kai, you're in even worse shape than Max. You should be last."

"That's what I told him," Kenny said, glancing up from his laptop. "But Kai insisted he should be third. That makes you last, Tyson."

As always. "It's not like we can change the order. Tyson is the world champion so he has to go last no matter what," Kai explained. "He also gets an extra day since the final match is held twenty four hours after the first three. That's apparently to make any necessary repairs and give our finalists an extra day's rest."

"They did the same thing last year with Brooklyn," Max said. "How are the beyblades looking, Kenny?"

"I've ran all the tests I can," Kenny noted, turning away from his laptop. "Dizzi helped out too. Your blades are going to be fine and they should be able to handle anything your opponents dish out. I'm just worried about the effects it will have on you lot. It's going to take a lot of power just to control it. One wrong move and you'll lose the match… Or worse, end up fighting for your life."

Tyson caught Hilary's eye. She looked away immediately, as if afraid to lock eyes with him. He'd have to talk to her when the opportunity surfaced. Calm her fears. Let her know everything was going to be all right. "I'm not afraid to put my life at risk if it means saving everyone else."

"Agreed," Max said.

Kai stepped forward. "Then let us end this once and for all."

.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the last two days of the 2016 World Tournament!" DJ announced, standing in the middle of the blading floor. "After two weeks of intense battles, it has come down to just two teams! The Avengers and the Horsemen!" The crowd cheered.

"And not a single face in the crowd even knows anything about the Leviathan…" Kai murmured. "They're only here for the entertainment, completely unaware of what is truly happening."

"Better they remain blind, Kai," Rei said, stepping up to stand next to him. "If they knew the truth, there'd be global panic. Sometimes it's best to not know what lurks in the dark."

"You might have noticed that the brochures didn't tell you what dishes were going to be used in the finals… That's because the organizers wanted it be a surprise and make sure no team had the advantage of knowing beforehand.

He gestured to the big plasma screen. Images of the dishes appeared in the order of appearance. Rei looked towards the screen, his jaw dropping in shock at the dishes. His fellow teammates were just as stunned in awe of the stunning designs. Even the crowd were delightfully thrilled, expressing their excitement with a Mexican wave.

DJ continued. "The first dish will be the Southern Alps, a mountainous terrain where bladers have to climb to reach the open space. The second dish is the fjords of Milford Sound! Bladers will use the boats to traverse the water, but the weather will change from clear days to fog the longer the battle goes. The third dish is the geyers of Rotorura! Bubbling water will occasionally shoot up from the geysers to damage the blades and mud will act as an obstacle! And finally, the last dish will be Mount Cook itself! The surprises of this dish are random."

"You're up first, Rei," Max said.

"We're all behind you, Rei," Hilary added.

"Thanks guys. I promise I'll do you all proud."

Drawing in a deep breath, Rei made his way to the beystadium dish for the last time. He was going to miss the excitement of battling before a huge crowd, but there was little reason in competing in further tournaments. "One last battle, Driger. Let's show them all why you why our clan is named after you." The bitchip glowed in response.

His opponent was his former clan member, Bruno. The man didn't even acknowledge him with a smile. There was a cold glint to his eyes, as if the man was devoid of emotion. It was almost… mechanical. Weird. "And now, we'll reveal the first dish so you can see it with your own eyes!" The floor opened. Unlike previous times, Rei's stand also moved. It moved down into the actual dish itself.

Rei looked up at DJ for an explanation. This was unlike anything else. The dish was no bigger than the one he battled in against Crusher, but to be actually standing in it made him realize just how big the dish actually was. He was surrounded by the mountain alps. Like the real mountains, a cold breeze blew down from them. He shivered. Once he was safely on the ground, the platform lifted and moved back. Robots carrying top quality cameras were now in the blader's usual place.

"You look surprised, Rei."

"Not at all," Rei fired back. "So there's no stand. That's fine. I don't need a protective hand rail to hide behind."

Bruno smiled. "I've been waiting for this moment, Rei. When you left the White Tigers, I saw a chance for me to stand in your place. To become part of the representative team and make a name for myself." He raised his launcher and jerked the cord back letting his blade fly forward. Rei did the same. The blades landed on the rocky terrain.

"Is that why you joined them then? To prove yourself worthy of the tribe?"

Bruno's blade dashed forward and smashed into Driger. The force of the impact pushed Rei back several metres. He threw his hands up in an 'X' shape to steady himself then ordered Driger to counter attack. Driger raced towards his opponent and rammed into the blade's side. Rei grimaced as an invisible force of wind smacked him in the stomach almost winding him.

"We are both proud members of the White Tiger clan, but unlike you, I never had the chance! You took the White Tiger and then you left – you are not worthy of Driger, Rei! Chimera! Fire Spin!" A funnel of flames burst skywards from the chip. Within the vortex, Rei could make out the shape of a four-legged creature. It had a mane of lion, a snake for a tail and a third head of a goat attached on top of the mid-section. It also had the wings of a dragon.

"So you have a new toy, Bruno. It doesn't change anything. You are still an amateur. Driger, Tiger Claw!" Driger roared and charged ahead to make a running leap right into the flames. Driger landed on top of the creature and slashed at the goat head leaving a deep graze. The chimera bucked and Driger jumped off to avoid being struck. "Impressive bitbeast, but a little underpowered don't you think?"

Bruno chuckled. "Oh, I'm just warming up Rei! But since you seem so eager for a real battle, allow me to accommodate your wish!" He raised a hand, clenched a fist and squeezed his eyes shut. "Activate special power!"

The chimera spread its wings and reared on its hind legs. The snake lifted its head, turned its head and opened its jaws. It hissed then spat out an arrow coated with acid. Driger evaded the attack, rolling to the right. The acid hit a rock. Seconds later, Rei heard a sizzling sound then noticed a gaping hole in the rock. He raised a brow. The snake continued to shoot out projectiles. Driger jumped out of the way again.

"So your snake shoots out acidic arrows… I'm not scared, Bruno."

"It's not your bitbeast you should be worried about, Rei. It's you."

The snake shot forth another projectile, this time towards Rei. Without sparing a second, Rei threw himself at the ground, narrowly avoiding it. So, Bruno was willing to play dirty then. Whatever it took to win. "Keep moving, Driger!" Avoid the arrows and wait for the right moment to strike. But how? All parts of the creature were guarded well. It was like fighting three bitbeasts at once. Driger jumped from rock to rock, climbing upwards, avoiding the projectiles. Each projectile caused a rock to loosen and fall down the mountainside.

 _What else can he do?_ Rei thought. The Leviathan was supposed to be incredibly powerful but right now he wasn't feeling the brunt of it. It seemed… too safe to put it mildly. Was Bruno just testing him? Mocking him even? Or was he trying to wear him down until he no longer had the energy to fight? Judy's words repeated in his mind. The longer the battle lasts, the more power you'll require. More power meant more energy.

"Rei! Watch out!" Hilary screamed.

Rei glanced upwards. One of the rocks above him had been hit. Bits of rock loosened and fell to the ground. One… two… three. Now. Rei hit the earth again and rolled to the left just as the large rock crashed down. The environment trembled. It was like being in an earthquake with everything around you falling apart.

"Activate second special attack! Chimera, use Uproar!"

The chimera reared on hits hind legs again. Whilst the snake continued to fire arrows, the lion head roared. Pulsating waves of pain seared through Rei's body. Uttering a deep growl, Rei brought his hands to his head, and winced. Throbbing pain. Pounding. Rapidly intensifying with each passing second. The entire stadium. More rocks crashed down, each one leaving a deep hole. Was he trying to bring down the entire building?

"And we are off to an explosive start!" DJ called. "Bruno's bitbeast has turned up the heat and the music too! How much of this punishment can Rei's Driger take? Oh but wait – what is Bruno's bitbeast doing now?"

The roaring died down, but there was still a ringing in his ears. Tightening his jaw, Rei pulled his hands away from his ears and looked ahead. The chimera lowered its head and scratched at the dirt with a forepaw as the snake continued to fire its venom, flames still dancing around the bitbeast. "I think that's enough entertainment for the audience now. What do you say we fight a true battle?"

"Give me everything you have."

Bruno smiled. "Of course. Charge!" The chimera pinned its wings back and charged forward, kicking up dirt behind its feet, the ground quaking with each stride. The impact was immense. The lion head picked up Driger by the scruff of the neck and flung him through the air, as if he were a rag doll. Driger hit the mountainside and plummeted to the ground, taking a big chunk of mountain down with him.

When the boulder landed, Rei was thrown off his feet. He flew back first into the rock then landed face-first, a low groan escaping through his lips. Body aching, he struggled to breathe. Each intake of air caused a sharp stinging pain in his ribcage. He looked up. Driger was lying on his side, a deep gash on his right.

"Why don't you just give up, Rei? You can't compete with the power of the Leviathan on my side. I've barely even tapped into its full potential yet… But lucky for you, you'll be finished before I even get a chance to use it," Bruno taunted, unfazed. The chimera snarled. A ring of flames encircled it.

Rei propped himself up onto one knee. "…You must think lowly of me if you think I'm going to surrender to you," he said, slowly rising to both feet, ignoring the aches in his left rib cage. "You might have a powerful bitbeast at your disposal, but you're not a true beyblader. Tao would be ashamed to see how far you have fallen. Our ancestors would be ashamed."

The man spat at the ground. "Save your talk, Rei. I've moved on to better things. Chimera, climb now!" He directed his blade up the mountainside. Rei watched his blade traverse the rocks with ease, the snake spraying venom to prevent Rei from coming up behind. "Let me give you a short history lesson, Rei. You're probably wondering 'why horsemen?' Back in the Middle Ages our ancestors faced a tumultuous period. Coin was scarce. Food was short because of the drought. People died."

Rei didn't need to listen further to know Bruno's bitbeast was Famine. He wondered how that played into the battle. It wasn't as if Driger needed to eat to stay strong. "So I've heard, but food isn't a problem in this match."

"Correct… but Famine doesn't have to refer to a shortage in food and coin. In the beyblading world, our battles are fuelled by the energy we give to our bitbeasts." A smile spread across his face. "No energy… well… let me show you what happens. Chimera, use Famine!" The lion roared again emitting powerful soundwaves. A sudden weakness gripped him. Hunger. Fatigue. Extreme weakness.

His stomach grumbled. One of his eyelids drooped.

"…Anyone else feeling just a little hungry?" DJ said, stifling a yawn. "…And a little sleepy?"

Rei yawned. So, that's what his bitbeast's secret power was. Make the blader feel drained of energy making them weak. _…It's impossible to win,_ he thought. _There's no way to beat something with this much power._ Forget Bega League. This was something else entirely. The odds were stacked against him. "No… This can't be it…" he said. "There has to be something I can do to win this…" But what? His blade was starting to slow. Driger tried to chase after Chimera, but lacked the energy to climb up the mountainside. His mighty tiger was reduced to looking as helpless as a tiger cub. He dropped to one knee, both palms on the ground.

"How are you feeling, Rei? A little short on energy?" Bruno taunted.

"…Impossible…"

"You're done, Rei. You and your Driger are history. There's nowhere you can continue to blade in your current state with your energy levels so low." The chimera lowered its head and prepared to charge again. Bruno was right. There was nothing he could do to fight back. He didn't even have the strength to use a Sunbeam attack.

Kenny. Hilary. Max. Kai. Tyson. His teammates. He could hear them calling out his name. "...Rei! You have to stop!" he heard Kenny yell. "Pushing yourself to the limit will overload Driger and yourself! You could end up hospitalized! Or worse!"

Was Kenny telling him to give up? Just throw in the towel? Live to fight another day? He wasn't a quitter. What honour was there to be had in giving up a match because the odds were stacked against him? _Pull yourself out of it, Rei,_ he told himself. _If I'm going to lose this match… which seems inevitable… then I'm going to go down fighting._ "Driger!" Rei called out at the top of his lungs. "Let's finish this!"

"No, Rei, don't! Pull back!"

 _Driger, if you can hear me… This is it. Our last tournament. Let's make it a match to remember._ Driger rose to his feet and roared. Rei screamed, mustering up his remaining energy into one final attack. He thrust a finger in Bruno's direction. His opponent took a step back, uncertain. "We may have been born into the same clan, Bruno, but you and are not alike at all! I would never have stooped as low as you to obtain greater power! I can hardly recognize you anymore. You're no member of the White Tiger clan. Driger, final attack!"

"Counter attack, Chimera!"

The two bitbeasts charged. Driger flung himself at the chimera, snarling and hissing, slashing at the chimera's body as if he had nothing to lose. His tiger latched on and held firmly, sinking his claws deeper into the skin. The snake head swayed back and forth firing venom projectiles in random directions. Rei had to duck again to avoid being hit.

"Bring him down! You are stronger!" Bruno called out.

"Attack!" Lightning bolts crashed down from the opening in the ceiling. Pieces of mountain imploded as the bolts struck their target, sending rocks around the stadium. As Driger held on, the chimera began to buck in an attempt to loosen the tiger's grip. "Hold on, Driger!" Rei called out, his voice hoarse.

The chimera dashed forward then made a running leap, knocking Driger to the side. A breath of fire exited the goat's head shrouding Driger in flames. Driger lashed out, roaring in pain, as flames burned into his flesh. Rei screamed out feeling the flames against his skin too despite him being several feet away. "You've fought well, Rei, but nothing can stand in the way of the Leviathan – not even you. Chimera, use Meteor Shower!"

Rocks encased in flames crashed down to the ground creating earth-shattering quakes. Each impact resulted in Rei being thrown off his feet into the mountainside. He cried out in pain as rocks tumbled down the side, pinning his legs beneath. Unable to move, he was at the complete mercy of his opponent. Meteors continued to rain down. Big chunks of the dish were removed.

He was fighting a losing battle. There was nothing he could do to win. His energy had almost depleted and now he was gravely wounded. Driger's spin rotation was slowing rapidly as the Chimera's only seemed to increase. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. It was all over. How could one be expected to triumph against such odds?

Driger tried his best to battle valiantly against his opponent but even his noble tiger was bested. A meteor landed nearby, the impact throwing his blade right out of the dish. It was all over. Defeated by a bitbeast that seemed to only grow stronger. He rested his head back on the ground, feeling weakness spread through his body. The stench of blood – his blood – filled his head.

"…Driger has been knocked right out the dish! The victory goes to Bruno of the Horsemen!"

The dish lifted up back to surface level allowing the medical team to help the bladers. The rock keeping Rei pinned was removed. His concerned teammates sprinted over. Through blurred vision, he saw Tyson's face peering down at him. "…I'm sorry, Tyson. I couldn't win the match," Rei managed to speak, wincing as a sharp pain imploded from somewhere within his body. He was consumed in so much pain that it was hard to tell exactly from where it was coming from.

"It's not over, Rei. We can still win," Tyson said.

"Sorry Tyson, but we have to get Rei in the operating room now."

"But-"

Kai held Tyson back. "Tyson, don't."

"At least let me give his blade back."

Rei could just make out the shape of his blade sitting on his chest. He would've smiled, but that required too much energy. He squeezed his eyes shut and remained motionless as the doctors carried him to the medical room. _Thanks for fighting for me, Driger. I'm sorry we didn't get the victory we wanted, but I know you did your best. We've played our part – now it's time for my friends to pick up where we left off._

.

Watching Rei being carried away on a stretcher bloodied and battered had silenced the crowd. People had been expecting a great match, but that had taken things to a new level of terrifying. Max looked to the dish. What sort of horrors would he have to face? "Max, we need to stay focused," Kai said. "We can't afford to lose the next match."

A draw or a win would see them still in the race. But was that even possible? "I… I don't know if we can win this… You saw what happened to Rei out there…"

"Don't let Rei's results shatter your confidence, Max," Kai said tonelessly. "So we lost the first round. So what? We've lost opening rounds before. We've had our backs against the wall more than once. So what if they have a powerful bitbeast? We have something greater. The beyblading spirit. Remember that, Max."

"The beyblading spirit," Max repeated.

"Years ago, Douglas tried to prove science was a more powerful force than spirit… This is what this is about. The Leviathan was freed because of science and placed inside scientific blades used by amateur bladers… They are an insult to everything blading is about," Kai said, tone laced with vehemence. "Blading isn't about fancy blades and bitbeasts. We know it's about skill and heart. Draw from the power inside you Max and use it as a weapon."

Max turned back to the dish, reflecting on Kai's words. The beyblading spirit. Of course. Rei only discovered the spirit in the dying matches of the battle, but by then it had already been too late. "Thanks Kai." Drawing in a deep breath, he walked over to the platform and waited for DJ to make the announcement.

He pressed a button and the floor opened up revealing the next dish. The fjords of Milford Sound. There were a few boats travelling across the water. No sign of fog yet but DJ had said it would appear as the battle went on. The platform turned on and lowered to the ground, placing Max on a boat. His opponent was none other than his old friend Alan. He was placed on another boat. Another boat, twice the size of his own, was in the middle. He imagined that's where the main battle would play out.

Once he was safely on the boat, the platform lifted and returned to its original position. "The second battle is between Max of the Avengers and Alan of the Horsemen! We all know what Max is capable of, but what about Alan? Will we see another Bruno vs Rei battle on our hands or will Max defy the odds and scrape through with a win? Don't blink or you'll miss the action! Now bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!"

"I have complete faith in you, Draciel," Max said, as he loaded his blade. "We can do this." He released his blade directly at the middle ship as Alan did the same. "We have to win this battle. Everything goes on the line no matter the cost." He then looked up from his blade to face Alan. The boy just kept finding himself in crappy situations.

"We meet again, Max. It was so kind of you to keep in touch with me the past few years," he jeered.

Max tightened his jaw. "I haven't had the chance, Alan. I've been busy."

"Busy competing in world tournaments. I thought we were friends, Max. Is that what you do to your friends? Abandon them when something or someone better comes along?" he retorted, directing his blade forward. The blade smashed into his own and forced him near the edge, causing the boat to tilt to the side.

"I never abandoned you, Alan!" Max called back withstanding the onslaught. The boat rocked back and forth, conjuring up waves to crash against it. Thank goodness he wasn't prone to bouts of seasickness otherwise this match would be over before it had even had a chance to get interesting. "I was always there for you but you never gave anything in return!"

"Do you remember the pact we made when we were children? We promised to start a team together and become the world's best bladers, but you didn't uphold your end! You went on to compete in the local tournaments without me!" His blade charged for Draciel again driving him into the side of the boat's wall, empowered by his blader's anger.

"So is this what this is about? Friendship? I thought we parted on good terms, Alan. You stole the rock from my mother, but I forgave you for that indiscretion." The new metal blades his mother had designed were certainly proving to be quite capable. Light, durable and powerful. Any ordinary blade would have broken into pieces by this point. "Why did you join the Horsemen?

Pushing back strands of brown hair away from his blue eyes, Alan growled. "To prove that I was just as capable as you, Max. Maybe if I was as strong as you then you wouldn't think twice about casting me aside. You didn't even contact me once since we parted ways and yet you have the tenacity to call me a friend?"

Alan had a fair point there. He hadn't even texted his friend since they last met. What a shining example of friendship that was. He couldn't find the words to explain himself – what was there to say? Sorry, but I was too busy focusing on the world championships to take a few seconds out of my day for you? It made him sound like a hypocrite preaching friendship yet he was a piss poor friend himself.

"Your silence only confirms it, Max. You pretend to be this guy with a heart of gold with a holier than thou attitude but you're just a fake. When your parents divorced, who was there for you? I was! I helped you through the dark times and you repaid it by abandoning me. We're not friends, Max. Not anymore. We're enemies, and this is War." His bitchip turned yellow. A pillar of white light burst skywards from the centre. Moments later, the light faded to reveal his Leviathan beast which was a humanoid winged creature with the head of an octopus.

"So that's your bitbeast then. You finally got what you always wanted." Impluse had been his former blade and it was supposed to be capable of summoning one of the invisible rock bitbeasts, but Alan lacked the skill. His new bitbeast was far more powerful than one of the rock ones, but the blader was still an amateur. He had to use that to his advantage. "But it doesn't change anything. You might have a big toy, but you don't have the heart. You don't have the true spirit of a blader and that is why you can't win this."

Alan smirked. "My bitbeast and I beg to differ, Max. Bruno told you all about Famine, now let me tell you about War. When Famine caused the crops to die, War started. Men waged war on each other for territory and food. The strong survived and claimed their prizes while the weak were forced to flee. My bitbeast is Cthullu."

Just looking at it made his skin crawl. The tentacles. The beady red eyes. The draconic wings. The muscular stature. Built to be like a battering ram. Max held his ground and summoned his own bitbeast to the fray. Cthullu was much larger than his bitbeast. It was almost like comparing a human to a giraffe in terms of height, but height didn't mean power in a beybattle. "Draciel, go on the defence!"

"Still determined to use your old way of blading, Max? My bitbeast will shatter your shields. Cthullu, use Force Blast!" The beast brought its palms together sending an invisible gust of wind in Max's direction. Draciel was smacked in the chest and forced back a few metres. The sudden movement caused a wave to crash over and into the boat. Fortunately, the boat didn't flip over.

Max gripped the handrails on the boat to hold himself upright. His boat rocked from side to side. "Draciel, use Gravity Control!" Time to turn things up a notch before the entire dish was shrouded in fog. The water in the dish started to rotate in a clockwise direction pulling everything into the vortex. Both Max's and Alan's boat moved in.

"Two can play that game. Cthullu, use Battle Tide!"

Despite its cumbersome form, the bitbeast was able to jump. When it landed, the entire stadium shook, creating massive swells. Max was thrown to the opposite end of his boat as a large three swell crashed into him, picking up the boat and moving it several metres into a fjord. He stumbled upon impact, but was able to pick himself up again. Somehow, his attempt at creating a whirlpool failed as a result of his opponent's attack.

"I know you were there for me during my darkest moments, Alan, and I'm truly grateful for that. I know we were best of friends back at school, but things changed. I couldn't stay back at home and do nothing with my life. I had to do something and that's why I chose to become part of the Bladebreakers." Maybe he could try talking some sense into Alan. Place insecurity and doubt into his thoughts. If he truly was a much improved blader, he'd be able to control his bitbeast by staying composed. "But just because I was away, didn't mean we couldn't be friends anymore."

The Cthullu stomped his feet creating more swells. With the boat rocking from side to side, Max held onto the handrails for dear life to prevent himself from going overboard into the cold water. "Then explain why you never made any attempt to contact me. You say you were focused on becoming a world champion, but was it so difficult to take some time to contact me?"

"This isn't just about me. Friendship is a two-way street and you didn't try to contact me either." He then sighed. "Maybe you're right. Perhaps this is a war after all. I should've tried harder to contact you, but you should never have tried to become my better in the first place. It's soured you." Twisted his mind so much he succumbed to temptation of wielding a powerful bitbeast.

Alan snarled. "Shut up, Max! You don't know anything! Once there was a time I wanted to be just like you, but now I've come to the realization that I don't want that – I want to be better than you, and my bitbeast will make that happen!" His bitbeast let out a fearsome roar. The swells rose in height. "When you're defeated, you'll realize that turning your back on me was the biggest mistake you've ever made! Cthullu, activate special attack!"

The creature brought its hands together once again and conjured up a hammer. It raised it above its head then slammed it down onto the boat, splintering it into two parts. Rain started to fall through the opening in the roof. Thick clouds bellowed above looking rather ominous. Lightning lit up the sky. The water itself reacted to the storm brewing above, attacking his boat with such ferocity, cracks formed.

But more came. Waterspouts came down from the clouds from all different angles smashing boats into pieces as they came into contact. A war in the ocean against the element of water. Wind lashed at his skin and clothes. His hair whipped around his face making it difficult to pay attention to his surroundings. Another wave smashed into his boat. He tumbled to the side then took cover hiding inside the cabin area as more waves pelted him.

Under normal circumstances, waves this big weren't possible in fjords, but with a bitbeast like the Leviathan on your side, anything was. Another wave lifted him up off his feet and into the side of the cabin. He smacked his head against the window. Groaning, he walked over to cling onto something, but was struck again by another powerful wave. He slid across the floor to the right then to the left before sliding back to the right again.

Draciel was still spinning. He could feel his bitbeast fighting hard to withstand the fury of the ocean though his energy levels were starting to drop. Wave after wave smashed the boat as Max was thrown from side to side yet somehow Draciel kept fighting. Max picked himself up from the floor. "If you don't give up Draciel then I won't either. We have to win this."

The water spouts moved closer. He could hear the howling of the wind just outside the boat to the right. It was so loud he couldn't even hear his own shouts. He didn't know what was happening beyond the dish but the audience had to be feeling it too. It was so realistic he almost forgot he was in an actual beyblade match.

Rain and wind pelted his windows. It was like being in the middle of a storm out in the ocean yet this was created by a bitbeast. How could he defeat it? What could possibly be strong enough to stop this? He tried to peer out the window but saw nothing. He jumped back as a spider crack appeared. The boat was getting ripped to shreds and he'd be taken along with it if he didn't act now.

Again, he tumbled down the side of the boat, smashing into the side once more. Stumbling towards the door, he pushed it open with all his might, and staggered outside onto the deck. Water sprayed into his eyes. Within seconds, he was drenched. As the water spout bore down on the boat, Max climbed over the edge and dived feet first into the water. He ducked as a piece of debris flew inches above his head. Fortunately, he wasn't in the water spout's path for long. He rode the wave and allowed it to carry him to the other side closer to where Draciel and Cthullu were battling.

Grabbing onto a piece of rope hanging over the side, Max climbed up, pushing his body to the limit. He eventually climbed onto the slippery deck. The two blades chased each other around the boat as the bitbeasts did battle. Draciel swiped with a claw. Cthullu grabbed his limb and held it back. Draciel pulled back then struck again, taking aim at the tentacles instead. Once struck, the tentacles wriggled, spraying out some black liquid onto Draciel's face.

Draciel clawed at his face to remove the oil. The Cthullu swing a muscular arm swatting Draciel aside to the boat's edge. His opponent followed the move up and slammed Draciel into the wall unleashing relentless attacks. Cthullu didn't seem to tire. The same couldn't be said for Draciel. It was only his iron-like defence that had kept him in the game for this long.

He didn't have the power to match the Cthullu, but what if he used that same power against him? He thought hard. Years ago he had managed to defeat Kai by getting his blade on top of Dranzer and spinning in the opposite direction. If he could do the same thing now… But how? Wait. He had to send his blade upwards. Ride the waves like Tyson had then land on top. Yes. That was it.

"Give it up, Max! You can't possibly win!"

Max kept his face blank. A person's expression said a lot about their thoughts. He wanted his opponent to think he had the advantage. Don't give away anything. _Draciel, if you can hear me… We're pulling a page out of Tyson's book and we're going to ride the waves. It's our only chance to win this._

One of the water spouts drew closer sending the waves around them into a fury. The boat was picked up by the waves and thrown back down yet somehow stayed afloat. Water spread across the deck but the blades were both designed to deal with slippery surfaces. "Draciel, do it now!" Max ordered. Draciel allowed the Cthullu to knock him overboard. Now Max smiled. "It's time to show the world just what we're capable of! Go!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed his blade up the spout, giving as much energy as he could to his companion. Several times his blade was almost thrown out, but pure willpower kept him going. Eventually, he reached the top of the spout. Draciel used the power of the spout to launch him back onto the boat. He landed directly atop of the Cthullu spraying water in all directions.

"Impossible!"

"Reverse spin, Draciel!" Draciel changed his rotation to counter clockwise drawing in Cthullu's power. Draciel dug his claw right into his opponent's head prompting the beast to bellow in pain.

"…Would you look at that ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Max has managed to turn his opponent's power against him using his iron willpower! The tide has turned in Max's favour!"

"You may have an impressive bitbeast, Alan, and you might have fancy powerful moves, but there's more to blading than just that! It takes heart and you don't have one! That's why you will not win despite the odds being in your favour! "You can't break me, Alan!" The beast tried to grab Draciel and fling him off as waves pummelled the boat, but Draciel would not budge. "Draciel, finish it now!"

It was all over in minutes. The rampaging waves ceased and the spouts disintegrated. The other boats in the fjords now lay in pieces across the water with the only boats being untouched the ones the blades were on. Max dropped to his knees and hunched over, placing both hands on the ground to support himself. A victory against all the odds. A last minute strategy to come out on top.

The platform emerged and lifted him back to the main ground. He was greeted with a round of applause. The only person not joining in the celebrations was Alan. The boy was on his knees examining his blade, an expression of shock and regret on his face. If wielded by an expert blader, the results certainly would have gone the other way.

Slowly, he limped back to the bench. "You did it Max!" Tyson exclaimed.

He nodded weakly, his hair and clothing dripping with water. "Yeah… I did. They are beatable… but it was a close one. You both have to watch yourself – the Leviathan beasts are tough. We're lucky we're only blading against amateur bladers otherwise we wouldn't have a chance at all." Max looked at Kai. "You're up next Kai. And I'm serious – watch your back. It's only going to get tougher."

He was about to sit down on the bench when a few doctors rushed over. "We have to run a few tests on your condition. You took a battering out there, Max. We have to make sure there are no internal injuries," the woman said.

Max nodded. He hadn't felt anything but then again perhaps he was so cold he was numb to it. He allowed the doctors to guide him over to the medical room in the back as Kai stepped up to the dish. "Give it your best, Kai. I know you can do this," Max said softly before disappearing down the corridor.

.

One loss and one win. Still no reason to celebrate though – there was still two battles to play. Carlos and Alexander. His opponent was obviously Carlos. How fitting he should blade against one of his former teammates. He stepped onto the platform and waited for it to bring him down to the playing dish.

The lower he came to the ground, the hotter he felt. The geyser dish. Bubbling mud pools. Hot water and steam. Dranzer would be right at home, but what sort of beast did Carlos have? "Finally, you and I get a chance to settle things," Carlos said, thrusting a finger in his direction. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Kai loaded his Dranzer. "You never meant anything to me, Carlos. You'll always be meaningless in my eyes unworthy of my attention."

"Bladers will be blading in the hot geyser dish! Don't fall into a geyser – you won't like what happens to your blade! Now bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!"

Kai released. His blade sped forward across the rugged landscape towards his opponent's white blade. Carlos's blade collided into his own successfully pushing his blade back a few inches. So, Carlos was going for an aggressive strategy, but did he have the energy to sustain it? There were a few geyers nearby. One of them erupted, sending plumes of hot water and steam in all directions. He heard the water sizzle as it touched the rocks.

"Dranzer! Attack!"

"I suppose I should thank you, Kai. You helped me become a better blader. Ever since I was forced out of the Blade Sharks, I've done nothing but strive to be better. Allow me to show you how far I've become! Now I will be the teacher and you will be the student! Vix'thra! I summon you now!" White light burst skywards. Moments later, the light dimmed and in its place was a monstrous pale white undead dragon with blood red eyes.

Kai tightened his jaw. A winged dragon. An undead one which meant he had to represent Pestilence of the horsemen tale. It made logical sense. After war, a plague spread infecting thousands. "How cute. An undead dragon. You must feel so strong."

"Once the wars had ended, disease quickly followed. Disease claimed the lives of more people than the wars did," Carlos described, ordering his blade to crash into Kai's once more. Sparks flew. "And you're going to be another victim. Vix'thra, use Acid Rain!" The dragon roared, flapped its wings and took to the sky. It flew around in a circle vomiting out green clouds.

The stench of rotten eggs filled his nostrils making his stomach muscle tighten and his head spin. Holding back a gag, Kai pinched his nostrils and summoned his Dranzer. His phoenix rose up from the blade and stretched her wings. Embers rained down. Dranzer flew up to avoid the cloud but Kai didn't have the same fortune. Vix'thra flapped its wings forcing the gas clouds to spread out.

Immediately, his stomach lurched as the cloud passed through. "Can you feel that Kai? A tickle at the back of your throat? You better get used to it because it's only going to get a lot worse. Why do you think so many people died as a result of the plague? Vix'thra, charge now!" The dragon moved forward and slashed its claws at Dranzer. The phoenix brought her legs up to protect her belly and moved her tail out of harm's way.

The dragon pulled back then barrelled forwards, applying its entire weight against Dranzer's lighter bulk. Thrown aside, the avian tumbled to the ground. Another geyer erupted encasing both bird and dragon with hot water and steam. Fortunately, Dranzer was unharmed, but so was the dragon. Typical. The cloud thickened, and Kai felt an itch in his throat. He coughed once then coughed again.

He suspected it was all part of the plan - recreate the sickness that had wiped out so many to gain a quick advantage. "You might need a cough drop, Kai. It sounds pretty nasty. I'd hate to be in your position," Carlos jeered.

"A bad cough isn't going to stop me, Carlos. You should know me better than that. Dranzer, use Blazing Gig!" Dranzer fired her feathered arrows upwards at the dragon hoping it would be enough to push it off. The feathers simply bounced off, as if the dragon had an invisible barrier around it that repelled attacks.

Carlos snickered. "You're gonna have to do better than that Kai! But don't worry – I'm here to show you how to do it right. Vix'thra, use Bone Throw!" Opening its jaws wide to reveal two rows of dagger-like teeth, the dragon conjured up a few bones and hurled them at Dranzer. The bones were no longer than a chicken bone, but they packed a lot of power. A single bone forced Dranzer to skid across the ground.

Kai too felt the impact, staggering back a few feet, feeling the wind knocked out of him. Grimacing, he regained his composure and planted his feet into the ground. Dranzer picked herself up and flapped her wings to gain altitude. The phoenix cawed, pinned her wings back and dove, hurtling towards her opponent. Dranzer slammed into Vix'thra's side knocking the dragon over onto its side.

Vix'thra clambered up and swung its tail around, smacking Dranzer in the side. Dranzer sailed through the air and slammed into the far wall. Bits of the dish loosened. Kai coughed again. Glancing down, he spotted flecks of blood on his hand. He wiped his hand clean on his clothes and looked up again.

"You think you're strong Kai, but how tough are you really? Warriors on the battlefield could win a fight against other men, but when faced with disease, they were easily brought to their feet. Let me give you a taste of what they had to endure. Vix'thra, use Horrid Wilting!" The dragon rushed forward, ramming its head into Dranzer, before crushing the avian into the ground with its tail. Before Dranzer could pull free, Vix'thra brought its head down and bit the phoenix in the neck. Its eyes turned black.

Kai brought a hand to his neck feeling a sharp implosion of pain as he coughed again. This time, he felt his chest hurt. It was similar to having a severe bronchial cough with a bit of blood thrown in. "…You won't bring me down that easily."

"They didn't have a name for this sickness because no word could fully encapsulate it. I'll take you through the symptoms just so you're aware of what's happening – if you know what's coming you might want to surrender to spare yourself." Carlos raised a hand to his neck and pointed at his throat. "It starts with a tickle in your throat before it gradually progresses into a chest cough. At first your cough produces nothing, but then you start coughing up blood."

Like he was now. He didn't bother wiping himself clean. What was the point if he was going to keep coughing? "…So… you rely on cheap gimmicks to win a match?" He forced a laugh. "You think that's something to be proud of?"

"Whatever it takes to win… Isn't that what you once told me, Kai?"

That had been a long time ago when all that mattered was crushing every opponent in his path. Things had a changed a lot since then. He supposed it was the influence of his teammates that had made him change his ways. "Maybe so… But I'm not that blader anymore. I'm better than that. I believe in honourable battles. You're even less of a man than I originally thought you to be."

Much to his satisfaction, Carlos scowled. Good. His words were having an impact. "I want to win, Kai. I want to be the blader you never thought I could be."

"And you're not doing yourself any favours by using cheap tactics… But then again, you could never aspire to be a better man. Dranzer, Blast Fireball!" Dranzer conjured up a flaming orb then hurled it forward. The ball slammed into the chest of the dragon and knocked it over, but the flames itself had little effect against the bone. How to win against an opponent that appeared to have no weaknesses?

He thought hard, but he had little time to formulate an effective strategy. His own physical state was deteriorating. His coughing was worsening, and now – he moved a hand to his nose – there was blood coming out. Just what he needed.

"Second stage. Uncontrollable nose bleeds," Carlos said, smirking once more. "Followed by chest pain and shortness of breath. You're going to feel weak in both mind and body. You'll be in no condition to fight."

It wasn't going to end like this. It couldn't. To be defeated by an amateur? No. "Gotta dig deep inside," he told himself. "Find the energy. The power. I know it's in there and I can defeat him." Dig deep. Stay determined. Never give in even if all seemed lost. Max had triumphed. So could he. He just needed more power.

"You're going to die, Kai… and if by some miracle you survive this battle, you'll meet your end soon enough. You can't keep running forever. Your sins will catch up with you soon. Vix'thra, attack!" The dragon sprinted forward and gnashed his teeth at the air then swung its tail catching Dranzer in the chest again.

Kai brought a hand to his chest feeling a pang of pain. Every intake of oxygen hurt. His opponent's blade smashed into his, pushing Dranzer towards one of the geysers. Dranzer's light weight build made it difficult for her to gain the physical advantage, allowing the dragon to push her around. Fire didn't work against the dragon. What could?

He then looked at the bubbling pits of mud. Perhaps… as powerful as the dragon was, if it became stuck it would be useless. The mud would slow his movements down and prevent him from doing anything and eventually the blade would stop spinning. Max was strategic in his victory. It wasn't about pure power, but brains too. He coughed up some blood, wiped his mouth clean then gave Carlos a smirk.

"You think you've won… But I'm not done yet. Dranzer, fight back!" The avian shrieked enveloping herself in flames, giving her additional strength to match the dragon. Slowly, he managed to push Vix'thra back. Several more geysers erupted, spewing mud pools all around the stadium dish. More than three quarters of the dish was covered in mud.

The blades pulled back then collided once more creating sparks. Dranzer pushed. Through sheer willpower, Kai was able to push the dragon into the mud. Mud flew up around them, covering the bitbeasts in it, but the blades didn't slow down. Each hit against Dranzer hurt Kai too. Every hit felt like getting tackled to the ground by a professional footballer. He fell to the floor and hunched over, spraying blood over his hands. It was as if his insides were slowly being torn apart and his skin pulled off.

"Give it up, Kai! You can't possibly win!" Vix'thra pounded the ground with its tail creating an earth-shattering quake. Several more geysers erupted sending plumes of mud skywards. Steam filled the air limiting visibility, but Dranzer's flaming body was easy to spot. The avian was engaged in a fearsome battle with her opponent, striking at the dragon's eyes with her talons. The dragon slashed a claw. Dranzer was struck and sent skidding across the terrain near a thick layer of mud. Soon. Just a little bit more. The dragon chased after Dranzer sloshing through the mud, eager to strike once more.

"You're wrong, Carlos. Take a look!"

Carlos looked down. His blade had gotten stuck in the mud. "…I'll get out of this."

"You were so eager to finish me off you paid little attention to the environmental hazards this dish poses!" Kai called back. Vix'thra thrashed around in the mud but it only caused it to become more stuck. The heavier the creature, the harder it was to escape. "You were never smart, Carlos. That's why you'll always be a loser. Nothing but that."

"If I'm going down, you're going down with me, Kai. You can't hold on for much longer yourself!"

He was right. His condition was worsening. Now his vision was beginning to blur as his headache worsened. His coughs had turned into a hacking one, and each one caused pain in his chest. Not only that, but his body was taking a physical battering. He had to hold on. Never say die. It was only over when he decided it was over. "I'd be more worried about yourself." He remained on the ground, lacking the strength in his legs to support him. His plan was working. Carlos's blade was slowing down. The design of the blade was also its weakness. Not even a powerful bitbeast could stop he mud getting inside the blade and slowing the gears.

"No! It can't be!" Carlos complained.

Second by second, the blade slowed, but that was the least of his worries. As Kai weakened, Dranzer slowed rapidly losing momentum too. It was a race to see who would slow first. Within a few short minutes, Kai collapsed on the floor, unable to find the strength to keep himself upright. _Hold on just a little longer, Dranzer,_ he thought. Just long enough to scrape through with a win.

"Both blades are losing momentum!" DJ called out. "Carlos's blade can't seem to free itself from the mud and Dranzer is just about exhausted! This could easily end up as a draw!" The crowd was silent. He couldn't see them from where he was, but their silence could only mean one thing – this match was on a knife's edge. "And… Oh, if you had placed any bets on a victor then you're going to be sorely disappointed! We have a draw folks! Both Carlos and Kai's blades have stopped at the same time!"

A draw. A poor result. All the pressure would fall upon Tyson to claim a miraculous victory against the strongest and most dangerous member of the Horsemen. The sickness had ended the moment Vix'thra had stopped, but the effects remained present. He was on death's door right now. Weak. Exhausted. The platform raised him back to level ground.

"Kai!"

Tyson's voice. Who else would come running over to check on the teammate? Tyson knelt down beside him. Kai cracked a bloodied smile. "I'm fine, Tyson. Just worry about tomorrow."

"…Kai, you almost died out there!"

"…Do me a favour and shut up, Tyson. I'm not dead. Now help me up why don't you?" Tyson clamped his mouth shut. He stretched an arm out. Tyson didn't need to be told twice. He did as asked and allowed Kai to lean on him for support. He spat out some blood onto the floor then continued talking. "We've done our part. You have to do yours and win tomorrow so we can put this behind us."

"I promise you, I will win this for all of us."

Kai nodded. He would've said more but that require too much effort. Tyson seemed to pick up on the hint and helped Kai towards the medics whilst DJ wrapped up the match. "…And there we have it boys and girls! Both teams sit on one victory and one draw! Whoever wins the next round will claim the championship title! Will Tyson be able to defend his title or will we see a new world champion?"

Would Tyson be able to withstand the pressure and come out on top?


	24. A Hero's Last Cry

One more chapter to go everyone! If you have made it this far, thank you very much. I know this is a re-upload, but if you are reading this again, thanks for your loyalty. It is much appreciated.

No one reviewed the last chapter so no one to specify here.

 **.**

 **Chapter Twenty Three: A Hero's Last Cry**

It all came down to this. One final match to determine the fate of their beloved sport. His teammates, Max, Rei and Kai were still in their beds being treated for their injuries, whilst he prepared to face his toughest battle yet alone. He walked over to the edge of the lake. It was early in the morning, but Tyson had been unable to sleep. The anticipation of the upcoming battle wouldn't allow him to.

The skies were grey. The birds were quiet. He couldn't even see the tops of the mountain peaks surrounding him thanks to the cloud. A grim day. A sign of things to come? "Tyson?" Someone called his name. Startled, he glanced over his shoulder and spotted Hilary walking towards him. The girl stifled a yawn.

"You should be sleeping, Hil."

She gave him a wry smile. "So should you, Tyson. You need it the most."

He turned back to the lake. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Shame the day was so grey.

"You're nervous about the match," Hilary answered, moving to stand beside him.

"How could I not be? Biggest match of my life and my teammates can't be on the bench."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know you don't have to fight this."

Turning his head to face her, he cocked a brow. "I thought you believed in me."

"I do… but…" She turned away, as if ashamed.

Tyson frowned. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Hil, come on. Talk to me." She remained silent, preferring to look towards the lake instead. He stepped in front of her then reached out to cup her chin with his right hand. Gazing into her deep brown eyes, he was shocked to see a tear roll down her right cheek. She was… crying? Either that or her eyes were just dry and starting to water. "Don't cry. Everything is going to be all right."

The tears didn't stop. "I don't want you to fight. I don't want to lose you. You've already proven to the world that you are a true Champion. Other bladers will come along and become champions too, but they'll never compare to your achievements. What else do you have to prove?"

Her behaviour surprised him. About a week ago she was telling him to fight. But now? He wondered what had caused the change. Perhaps it was seeing Max, Rei and Kai suffer on the blading field. She probably thought the same would happen to him. "I have to fight this battle, Hil. You know that I must. Don't let fear cause doubt. You've seen me fight tough battles before. This isn't going to be any different."

"You're going up against Death, Tyson."

"I'm not afraid to face death." She bit her bottom lip. That appeared to not be the right thing to say. He frowned again, struggling to find words that could ease her mind. Nothing came. "Hey, look at me. You've always been there at my side even if we didn't always see eye to eye. Don't lose faith now, Hil. I _need_ you."

She nodded. "…Promise me you'll come out of this fight in one piece."

"Of course I will." He pulled his hand away from her chin and moved it upwards to catch a rolling tear then wiped it away. "I will always return to you, Hil. This I promise you. Nothing will stop me from being at your side." He looked into her eyes, holding her gaze for a few moments longer before pulling away.

"Just… just be safe."

He smiled. "I will be." Before Hilary could speak further, Tyson turned around and headed back to the room. _Everything will be all right, Hil,_ he thought. _I'm going to end this once and for all._

.

Never had he seen his bench so empty before. No Max. No Rei. No Kai. No Daichi. It was just Hilary and Kenny on the sidelines. Kenny hadn't even brought his laptop along – he was that nervous, he couldn't hold it properly. Hilary sat next to him, hands clasped together resting on her lap. Her left foot tapped the floor. His present teammates were jittery.

Understandably so too. The stadium was once again a sell out event. He could see his other blader friends in the stands in the VIP area. He saw a large number of fans showing their support for him by waving their flags with his name on it, but he also saw several Alexander supporters. Probably the people who hoped his reign would end today. There were always haters.

Pulling his attention away from the crowd, Tyson headed towards the stadium dish. He stepped up onto the platform and waited for his opponent to reveal himself. Alexander emerged from the shadows of the hallway accompanied by Hiro. Tyson clenched his jaw at the sight of his older brother. No surprise Hiro would show himself. Perhaps he thought his presence would unsettle Tyson.

"I'll prove it to you, Hiro. I am not the weakling you claim me to be," Tyson told himself, digging a hand into his pocket to pull out Dragoon. "But you made your choice to walk away. I thought that I needed you, but I don't. I'm stronger without you, Hiro… and you're going to see that today. Dragoon and I will win this."

As usual, DJ was already there with a microphone in hand. Alexander approached the platform, his face expressionless. The boy had donned his usual plain garments for something darker. He was dressed in black – a black shirt, black pants and he had even taken to wearing a black cape. Like Hiro, Alexander was also wearing sunglasses to cover his eyes to conceal the emotion. Clever.

"It all comes down to this! Alexander will face defending champion Tyson to determine who will become champion! Don't leave your seats – this is going to be a match of the century! Don't even blink! Bladers, you'll be fighting in the Mt Cook dish."

The platforms triggered and lowered the bladers to the bottom. Thirty metres down. Twice the depth of the previous three. The replica of Mt Cook towered over them casting its shadow on Tyson's side. A cold chill raced down his spine. An intimidating sight. The mountain was in the centre of the dish surrounded by rugged terrain.

"This is the ultimate dish that will test the endurance of our bladers! Avalanches, wind and rain pose a constant threat! Bladers will have to endure the elements while they fight each other! What better way to test our two finalists!"

Easy for DJ to say. He was no blader. Heck, the majority of people in the crowd were clueless about the threat the Leviathan beast posed to them all. They had paid to be entertained, not to feel afraid. Perhaps it was best they remained blind. Tyson loaded his blade onto his launcher then inserted the ripcord. He looked across at his opponent.

"Are you nervous, Tyson? I hope not. I want you to be blading at your very best," Alexander said, raising his blade and launcher. "Your brother taught me well. He taught me all the tricks in the book. You don't stand a chance, Tyson. I'm not going to hold it against you if you want to surrender minutes into the match. Sometimes it's better to flee a battle you can't possibly win."

"I don't run from a fight."

Alexander snorted. "You saw the battles your friends were involved in. They almost lost their lives… They were lucky they were smart enough to save themselves. Max and Kai were quite impressive with their strategies, but brains won't help you against me. You can't fight Death, Tyson. You can try to of course, but you can't run forever."

"Let's just do this."

He smiled. "As you wish."

"Bladers, are you ready? Three… two… one… Let it rip!" the crowd roared.

Tyson jerked his hand back, launching his blade towards the base of the mountain. Alexander's blade came rocketing around the corner, slamming into Dragoon with enough force, the ground quaked. "Dragoon, counter-attack!" He summoned his bitbeast not daring to waste precious time. Dragoon struck back, pushing his opponent back across the dish towards the mountain.

Alexander laughed. "That's good, Tyson. Fight like it's your last battle. I wouldn't want this fight to be too easy after all." He raised a hand and made a fist. His blade began to emanate a black light form the bitchip. A sense of dread filled Tyson. He couldn't quite explain it, but the light filled him with a sense of fear.

Dragoon continued to ram into his opponent's blade attacking it from multiple angles. "Go for it, Dragoon! Don't hold back!"

"I gotta admit Tyson, in some ways I wish you hadn't made it this far so you didn't have to see yourself fall so badly." Alexander then gave an exasperated sigh, brushing a loose bang of hair back. "It's always sad to see such a noble hero fail… But all good things must come to an end. Ever since that loss to you, I've been working hard to become better. My father didn't have faith in me. He locked me up and had me punished for failing, but I won't allow that to bring me down."

Tyson frowned. "Your father?"

"You know him. Boris. Your actions had him locked up behind bars." Alexander's blade continued to glow. No sign of a bitbeast appearing, but the dread he was feeling was still present. "He said I would become great. He was only partially right about that. I would never achieve greatness under his rule, but Douglas… He gave me a chance. Saw something in me."

"You'll never be a true blader, Alexander, not with a heart so full of hatred and resentment," Tyson countered, ordering Dragoon to continue the vicious assault. The blades chased each around the base of the mountain. "Douglas is a fake. He believes science is better than spirit. We proved him wrong years ago. Nothing has changed since then."

Alexander's blade raced up the side of the mountain then bounced off, crashing down on Tyson's blade. Dragoon moved out of the way by a fraction of an inch then retaliated. "You're wrong, Tyson. I have the world's most powerful bitbeast in my blade. Science made it happen. Skill can only take you so far. Allow me to show you my bitbeast, the Dullahan rider. Dullahan, I summon you now!"

The column of light burst skywards. All the lights in the stadium switched off including the ones on the top of the beyblade dish. Complete blackness. He couldn't even make out his own hands. All he could feel was the cold chill of wind coming down from the mountain brushing up against his skin. It was also quiet save for the sound of clashing blades.

"Famine caused War. After War came Pestilence. Once the disease spread, Death followed and no one caught in the path survived," Alexander said. "We're reliving that now but through the sport of beyblading. History does a tendency to repeat itself in different forms, after all. You are the hero in this story and heroes always fall."

He could see two blood-red eyes, but no actual form. "So you've turned the lights off. I'm not scared."

"Oh, but you should, Tyson. The Dullahan cannot be stopped. How do you stop Death after all? Can you feel it? The dread surfacing inside you? The guilt of past deeds? The sins of your past? The faces of the ones you love betraying you?" There was a pause then, "Yes, you do feel it. The weight on your shoulders. How desirable it would be just to surrender now and find that peace."

Hiro mocking him, scolding him then turning his back to leave and never return. A headstone surrounded by bouquets flowers with his name on it. His teammates leaving him one by one and perishing into the flames. A sea of the dead stretching as far as the eye could see and standing before them was a beast. A monstrous creature with multiple heads and eyes as red as blood, his teeth the length of a great sword. The creature turned its head to face him then opened its jaws. Flames engulfed the world around him but he remained unscathed.

The serpent slithered forwards, closing the distance between them. Tyson turned around and tried to run, but he couldn't move. All he could do was wait to be consumed by the beast. He screamed. Slithering forward, the serpent lunged, and picked him up with its jaw. He rested between two fangs towards the back of the mouth. Saliva coated him, paralysing him. Unable to move, he could only scream as the serpent closed its mouth, his chest pierced by a dagger-like tooth. Pain seared through his body. He screamed again, as his body was slowly torn apart, the pain unending. He should be dead, but he wasn't. He could feel pain despite having a tooth stabbed through his chest. This had to be hell.

 _Tyson._

Dragoon's voice.

 _Pull yourself together._

He shook his head and reopened his eyes, finding himself back in the battlefield again. No dead bodies. No flames. No serpent creature. Just here in the beystadium. But something was different. Although the lights were still out, he could see the Dullahan several metres across from him. A headless rider sitting atop a horse wielding a scythe in his right hand, whilst he carried his head in the other.

The head's sunken eyes looked at him. A shudder travelled down his spine. Creepy. He was staring Death right in the face. "Once the Dullahan sets his sights on you, death isn't too far away. You got nowhere to run, Tyson. Just surrender now and I might just allow you to live."

"You talk a big game, Alexander, but I have someone on my side that you do not. I have Dragoon, and together we're stronger than anything you have to throw at us. Come at me with everything you have – I'll walk out of this alive in one piece." Not a bluff. His friends believed in him. That was power. Friendship. Love. The forces of light.

"Dullahan, use Horrid Wilting! Feel your life fade away, Tyson!"

The Dullahan charged towards Dragoon. Upon impact, Dragoon emitted a pained roar as the scythe plunged into his flesh. Pain erupted in his chest. He too felt the impact, as if he was the one attacked. The horse screamed then rammed forward, head butting Dragoon in the chest. Dragoon staggered backwards, the blade wobbling, but recovered. Tyson thrust a finger forward. "Go Dragoon! Use Galaxy Turbo Twister!"

A powerful wind whipped up around the mountain. It was enough to trigger the layers of snow to loosen. Though he could not see it well, he could hear the rumble of a blanket of snow tumbling down the side of the mountain onto the beydish floor below. He threw his arms out to the side to stay balanced as Dragoon moved in front of him to protect him from the avalanche.

"Dullahan, charge!" The horse charged through the layers of snow at full gallop. He swung his scythe again, this time using the flat side of the curved blade, whacking Dragoon off his feet. Tyson flew back and hit the wall. He climbed to his feet, dusting the snow of his clothes then looked forward. Dragoon charged, bringing both claws forwards. The Dullahan jumped back then brought his scythe back around. "Now use Finger of Death!" Dragoon was knocked back. His opponent came forwards and touched Dragoon's face with the tip of the scythe.

Crippling pain imploded in his mind as Tyson dropped to his knees. Paralysing agony. He wanted to move, but his legs refused to. Dragoon too was frozen in spot. "Dragoon!" he called out but his attempts were to no avail. He could do nothing as the Dullahan approached him. Now up close, he could see the live maggots in the head and the sunken cheeks. The eyes were colourless, the skin a pale green. Some of the skin on the head was so thin he could see bone. Defenceless and vulnerable, Tyson remained still as the Dullahan pressed his scythe against his forehead.

Pain similar to that of a second degree burn enveloped his body. Glancing down, he saw the skin on his hands blister. Pain unlike anything he had ever experienced before spread through his entire body, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could only endure it. Within minutes, the blisters on his skin peeled and turned into a waxy white colour. The skin was ripping away from his bone.

"Scream for me, Tyson. Feel the pain you inflicted on me years ago. You ruined me."

He screamed until his voice went hoarse. His body still stung, but the severity of the pain had passed. He had become numb to it. Tyson looked up, taking in deep breaths, and spoke through clenched teeth. "You are to blame, Alexander! You were so confident that you could defeat me that the possibility of losing didn't even occur to you! You could've saved yourself if not for your own arrogance!"

"Liar!" Alexander screamed. "You were supposed to help me but you didn't! You preach about the importance of friendship and preserving the game, but you stood by and did nothing!" The horse kicked him in the chest. He slid across the floor. "You call yourself a champion – then why did you do nothing to save me?"

The power that had him paralysed had passed allowing him to pick himself up from the floor. "If I had known about Boris and the history of Balkov Abbey I would've done something about it! But the information came too late! I wanted to go back, but we'd been locked out! If I could've, I would've saved you all, but the circumstances didn't allow it!"

"All excuses! Just excuses! You didn't care at all. You only cared about your friend Kai. Kai, the deserter. The betrayer. The sinner. He did more harm to you than I ever did. Yet you saved him and allowed someone like me to remain behind caged bars in a dungeon!" The Dullahan attacked him again. He winced, as he was struck hard in the chest by a hoof. "But you're an even a bigger monster."

Rather than curl up into a ball and allow the Dullahan to strike him down, Tyson glared up at him with defiant eyes. "Is this how you want to win? By putting me permanently down? You think that will make you a champion you so desperately want to be seen as?" Grimacing, he forced himself to his feet. "Being a champion isn't about winning all the games. It's not about saving everybody. It's about fighting for what you believe in. It's about never giving up hope when all seems lost. Most importantly, it's about defending the ones you love."

A white light emanated from Dragoon's body. Dragoon moved forward and swiped a claw at the Dullahan, slapping the head out of his hand. The horse wailed, and reared on his hind legs, front hooves flailing. Alexander growled. "You can't escape death!"

Tyson climbed to his feet. "Maybe not, but you're not claiming me as a victim today. Dragoon, final attack! Full power!" Dragoon roared once again then brought his claws together conjuring up a glowing orb of blue. Clouds gathered above the stadium. Lightning crashed down. Thunder roared. Rain bucketed down as a ferocious windstorm picked up, combining rain and snow together.

The full force of the wind knocked the rider off his horse. "No! This is impossible! How are you doing this! Where do you this power from?!" screamed Alexander.

Tyson growled, conjuring more power. "You will never understand the true meaning of being a champion because you have nothing to fight for! That is what gives me strength and there is nothing that can stand against it!" His hair flew around his face as the intensity of the wind continued to pick up. The skin on his hands was still scorched, but determination kept him on his feet. "Everyone is counting on me and I won't let them down!"

Strength renewed, Dragoon charged forward, and threw his weight against the Dullahan rider, shoving him into the base of the mountain. Rocks tumbled down crashing around them. The headless rider, unable to see, slashed his scythe wildly. Dragoon clamped his jaws around the scythe, snapped it in half and threw it aside. He then picked up the rider with his jaws and crushed the body.

"No!" Alexander shrieked. "You can't possibly win! I'm supposed to be the strongest blader!"

"You're not. You could've been strong, but your heart and mind are poisoned. Beyblading comes from within. Finish it now, Dragoon!" With a slap of the tail, Dragoon sent his opposition flying up the mountain. Using his strength of mind, Tyson manipulated the air to throw the blade out of the dish.

The lights in the stadium switched back on. The crowd was silent. Most likely confused and why wouldn't they be? A match had played out in the dark. The platform stirred to life and brought him back up to the stadium floor. His blade was still spinning. DJ glanced over the railings. "Wowzers! Unbelievable! Dragoon is still spinning and Alexander's blade has been knocked out! Victory goes to… Tyson of the Avengers! The defending champion keeps his trophy for another year!"

Tyson tucked his hands beneath his jacket not really wanting any of the cameras to focus on them. Right now all he wanted was to get out of here and get some treatment then check on his teammates. Kenny and Hilary raced over to him, smiles spreading across their faces. Hilary threw her arms around him. "You did it, Tyson!"

He grunted. "I told you I'd come back, yeah?" He pulled himself free as his blade returned. Kenny caught it then returned it to Tyson.

Alarmed, Hilary raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

Slowly, he showed to her his hands. "Look."

Hilary gasped. "Oh my goodness… Tyson, you need to get that checked!"

"That… looks horrible, Tyson. You could get infected," Kenny pointed out, paling.

Tyson tucked his hands beneath his jacket again. His hands felt like leather now. "Hil, I want you to hold the trophy for me."

"Don't forget about us, Tyson," a voice said behind him.

Kai, Max and Rei walked forwards. Rei had a bandage wrapped around his head and, and Kai had one wrapped around his stomach. Max's wrists were bandaged up, but they were in top spirits, smiling. Rei leaned on one of his crutches for support. "You did it, Tyson. You defied the odds in only the way you can."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Tyson replied, looking at his teammates. "You all believed in me."

"I don't mean to break up the reunion, but Tyson, the officials are waiting."

Tyson glanced over. The chairman was standing just a few feet away holding the trophy. "Oh right. Of course." He walked on over then nodded at his teammates.

"Let's hold it together," Max said.

"Agreed," answered Rei, placing his hand on one handle. Kai and Kenny grabbed the same one. Max and Hilary grabbed the other side. "Tyson, you too."

He pulled out a hand again and placed it over Hilary's. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, ignoring the sting of pain. Max then frowned, examining Tyson's hand. "Tyson. What's that?"

Tyson looked. There on his right hand was a mark of a skull. It wasn't entirely clear, but he could make out the faint outline of one. At least, he thought it was a skull. If not for Max mentioning it, he wouldn't have noticed. Tyson opened his mouth to speak, but Jazzman spoke first. "Give a round of applause to your world champions!" The crowd rose to their feet and clapped. "Any words you'd like to say, Tyson?"

"Thanks for all the support, everyone!" Tyson said into the microphone. "Thanks for purchasing the tickets and coming to the matches. We couldn't have made it this far without you. You keep the spirit of beyblading alive."

DJ pulled the microphone back. "Words well spoken from a true champion. Do you have any plans for-What was that?"

The applause in the audience ceased. Fans in the crowd exchanged worried looks. Others looked anxiously towards the exits as a faint rumble came from beneath. "Tyson, your hand." Max pulled his hand back and pointed at the mark. It had turned a bright red. Now he could clearly see the mark. Not a human skull, but a serpent head. The same serpent he had seen during the battle with Death.

"I've seen it before," he said.

"What?" Rei replied, pulling his hand from the trophy. The others placed it on the ground and the chairman picked it up again. Another tremor shook the ground. That was enough to get the crowds in the stands up and moving. Panic mode had activated. He even heard a few screams. "Earthquake?"

Kai shook his head. "No… There have been no reports of any movements in the fault line."

"Then what's going on?"

"Tyson, look!"

Tyson looked to the opposite side where the Horsemen bladers were gathered in a circle. They raised their blades high into the air. A lightning bolt struck them and the boys were thrown back, their blades flying out of their hands and shattering into pieces. Four pillars of light burst skywards up into the clouds merging into one. A clap of thunder prompted a few more fans to scream.

"It seems like we've been hit by a real storm," DJ Jazzman said. "Please listen to the security guards in each section! They will guide you to safety! We ask that you remain calm while we assess the situation!" He moved away from the team to help give directions to ground staff.

"Something isn't right. We won the battle," Kai said.

"Battle is far from over, Kai."

Tyson glanced over his shoulder. Much to his surprise, Brooklyn was walking towards him. He was accompanied by Robert and Ozuma. "Brooklyn. Robert. Ozuma too. What are you three doing?"

"You won the battle, but you haven't won the war," Brooklyn said. "Show me your hand."

Tyson did though he was reluctant. "What do you know?"

"That's the Mark of the Leviathan. You've been touched by the beast himself, Tyson."

Tyson drew his hand back and covered it under his jacket again, unnerved. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been cursed," Robert says. "Oliver translated the writings in the book of my ancestors. You bear the Mark now. You must've been touched by Death. A binding spell for something… but I cannot say what. Maybe one of the tribal leaders might know more about it."

Ozuma frowned. "I could ask the Elders. They may have seen something like it before."

"Tao too. I'm sure there has to be some writing in our tribe's history books," Rei supplied.

Their conversation was brought to an end by another violent tremor. The horsemen bladers remained unconscious on the floor. Medical staff hurried over to them to carry the boys away on stretches, but the quaking ground didn't allow for it. Ozuma craned his neck up. His jaw dropped. "That's not normal."

Tyson looked up. The sky had turned a brilliant bright shade of orange. It was almost as if the clouds had somehow gotten caught alight. "…We should get out of here."

"That's one of the smartest things I've heard you say, Tyson," Robert said.

"Come on, let's go!" Kai said, motioning for the rest of them to head towards the safety of the halls. Unfortunately, they didn't manage to cover much ground when the earth split before them. Tyson clutched his marked hand feeling a burning sensation. "Tyson, come on, we have to keep moving!"

Parts of the stadium started to fall. A slab of the ceiling caved in and dropped down. Fans scattered, but a few were unable to get out in time and were crushed. Screams broke out. He even heard people crying. Complete chaos. The crack before them widened. "We have to jump now," Rei said, making a running leap. He jumped over. Max followed. Soon, everyone had made the jump but Hilary and Kai.

Tyson dropped to his knees as the pain in his hand worsened. "…Go. Get out of here," he said in between deep breaths. "Save yourselves."

"I'm not leaving you Tyson," Hilary said, kneeling down beside him. "I told you I never would unless you asked me too."

Another crack appeared. Other parts of the stadium collapsed. People were running in all sorts of directions desperately trying to find an exit not realizing they were worsening the situation. Blockages occurred. He could hear security shouting at people trying to direct the traffic in one direction, but their attempts failed. The crowd was panicked.

"Kai, make the jump!" Rei said, holding out a hand.

Kai spared a look at Tyson and shook his head. "I'm staying here. Get out of Rei here. Take the others with you and leave."

"He's right. We'll get crushed out here," Robert said. "I can take you all to my private jet, but we must hurry." Brooklyn and Ozuma nodded, turning to leave with Robert. Rei, Max and Kenny stayed behind.

"What are you idiots doing? Leave!" Kai snapped.

"Not without you! We're a team!" Max called back.

"We're not leaving, Tyson," Hilary said, looking at him. " _I_ won't."

He looked into Hilary's eyes. "Hil, listen to me. You have to get out of here." He lowered his gaze to his hands then looked up again. "I don't know what's happening to me. I'm cursed. Who knows what kind of danger I am in? Save yourself. Please."

She shook her head. "Don't tell me to leave."

He raised his hands and cupped her chin with both. "Hil, you have to. Please. Do it for me."

Parts of the stadium floor caved in. More screams rang out through the building. "Come on, make the jump!" Rei called.

"We're here to help!" Max added. Both of them had their arms stretched out.

Rocks of fire smashed through the ceiling. Flames lapped at the windows. It was like hell on earth. A few more people were crushed beneath the weight of rubble. Their screams would forever remain in his nightmares. What he had seen during the battle was becoming a reality. Death had given him a glimpse of what was to come. Perhaps the plan was to lose all along.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Tyson…"

"Go. I won't say it again."

"You stupid buffoon!" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. "…You self-centred pig!"

She was angry. Understandable. If he was in her position, he'd be mad too. He leaned in forward and brought her closer in towards him. Within seconds, his lips met with hers. She reacted, parting her lips, a surprised moan leaving her throat. Her hand gripped the sleeve of his jacket as she pulled him in closer. He pulled back several moments later, slightly flustered. "…Now go. Save yourself."

"Come on, Hilary!"

"Promise me you'll come back to me."

"I promise."

She gave him one parting look then jumped across the opening into the open arms of Rei. "Kai, Tyson. Your turn," Max said.

"They're not going to do it," Rei said, looking slightly rattled. He then narrowed his eyes. "This is suicide! You'll die if you stay here! Don't be foolish!"

The crack further widened. Kai peered over the ledge then pulled back just as flames burst upwards. He felt another tremor shake the stadium as a crack appeared directly beneath his feet. He looked at Kai. Kai looked back and nodded. Tyson grabbed his arm then looked towards the flames. Hilary, Max, Rei and Kenny. "Stay strong," he said.

The ground gave way. Down they plummeted into the blackness below, Hilary's screams being the last thing he remembered.

.

His back hit the ground. He grunted then forced himself upright. Kai was already standing. Tyson climbed to his feet and looked around. They were standing on a single platform with nothing but lava pools around them, stretching as far as the eyes could see. Tornadoes made of fire moved back and forth across the lava.

"I guess this must be Purgatory," Kai said.

"I was thinking Hell," Tyson said, dusting himself of the dirt.

Kai shook his head. "That's a human version of Hell. We're not dealing with humans." Kai wandered over to the ledge to admire the odd scenery.

Tyson followed him. "Why'd you stay Kai? You could've jumped too."

"We both know there's only one way to end this."

"What do you mean, Kai?"

"This is our chance to seal away the Leviathan again."

He frowned. "…You mean…"

Kai nodded. "Our bitbeasts are sacred. It was their power that locked the Leviathan away. We need to do that again."

"If that's true we need the entire team here."

Kai shook his head. "Not true. Our bitbeasts are much stronger than they were. One will be enough." He took another step towards the ledge. Was he thinking of jumping? Tyson grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Tyson, let go. You know this is how it has to be."

"…No. It doesn't. We can find another way to defeat the Leviathan."

"Don't be foolish, Tyson. You know this is the only way. I've played my role. Now you have to play yours."

He seemed strangely calm about the whole situation. It was almost as if he had been thinking of this for awhile now. Anger poured through him. He made a fist and punched Kai across the jaw. Kai didn't fight back. "And you call me stupid! Are you insane? We need you, Kai! I need you!" He wanted to hit Kai again, but Kai's refusal to fight back dampened his mood.

"I told you. I've played my part in this story. All my life all I ever wanted was to be the best blader the world has ever seen, but you've proved me wrong. I became the captain of the Bladebreakers to guide you but also to understand you better. You've always been my rival, Tyson. You're the one opponent that I can accept losing to because I know I can't ever beat you. That's why we leave you, Tyson. Not out of hatred nor of spite. Because we want to be your equal."

Tyson frowned, struggling to make sense of what Kai was saying. Surely, he was going mad? Maybe the heat was doing something to his head. "I'm not going to allow you to die on my behalf, Kai. This… noble sacrifice isn't your decision to make. What kind of a friend would I be to watch you fall?"

"That's why you're needed, Tyson. The world needs more people who share your spirit. The Leviathan will be sealed away, but his powers will still pose a threat. You saw the light being released into the world. Douglas might be dealt with, but he's not our only enemy. More await us in the shadows. The bladers need a leader – that's where you come in."

Kai was making crazy talk. There was no way he could be thinking of sacrificing himself for the greater good. He bit down on his bottom lip. "I can't do this without you, Kai. You've always been there for me. Without you, I wouldn't be the blader I am today."

"I'm trying to make things right, Tyson. To make up for the sins I've committed throughout my life." He turned back to the flames and looked up upwards at the ceiling. "I can never make up for the hurt I've brought upon people, but I can save lives. I'll seal the passageway. You and Dragoon can get out of here. When it's all over, one day you can return and free me, but right now your duties are elsewhere. Worry about me later. I think that Mark on your hand will show you how to find me again."

Towards the distance, he saw a shadow peeking around the corner. The serpent. "Dammit Kai. You know I don't like making difficult choices."

Kai cracked a smile. "You better get used to it, Tyson. Now get out of here."

He could see Kai wasn't going to change his mind. The man was even more stubborn than himself. "I will free you, Kai. You know I will."

"Spare me the corny commentary. I don't want to see your ugly mug." He spared a grin to show he was joking. "I know you'll come back."

Tyson smiled. He dropped a hand to his pocket and pulled out his blade and launcher. His injured hands made it difficult however and he dropped them on the floor. Kai walked over and picked them up. He loaded the blade onto the launcher then inserted the cord. "What do you want me to tell the others?"

"That I died a hero and not to mourn." He launched the blade. Dragoon appeared within seconds. "I will return from the ashes."

Tyson climbed into Dragoon's back and grabbed onto the scales. Kai acknowledged him a nod then turned back towards the shadow approaching. He launched his blade into the flames. "Give him hell, Kai." Dragoon flew up through the hole just as Dranzer emerged. Kai jumped onto his phoenix and the two flew towards the shadow after causing the ceiling to cave. "Hang on until I return."

.

He returned to the surface with a heavy feeling in his chest. The mark was still on his hand and burning, but it paled in comparison to the pain of losing Kai. He heard the rocks tumbling below. Kai was doing exactly as promised - bring the rocks down to stop the serpent from getting through locking them both in until he found a way to break through again.

The sky was still orange. Somehow, he had a feeling it was going to be that colour for a long while yet. Dragoon lowered him onto the floor and looked down at him. Tyson looked up. "What happens now?"

 _We stand together and fight._

He looked down at the mark again. "Kai thinks it'll help."

 _We need to learn more about it. I do not recognize it, but I believe it connects you to the Leviathan._

"But how did he escape? I thought the horsemen were the Leviathan?"

 _They are fragments of his soul, but the serpent remains as a complete entity. Now there are more. Demon bitbeasts. We'll have to find them all to weaken the Leviathan – that is the only way your friend will survive below._

Tyson frowned. "The scientists got it all wrong then?"

 _They extracted parts of the Leviathan and placed them into bitchips. The bladers were not strong enough to harness their full power – I doubt we have seen the last of them, and on their own they'll be a far more powerful force. No blader to hold them back. We're seeing a repeat of history, Tyson. The Time of Troubles. A period of war between the bitbeasts._

"Sounds like trouble. We'll need an army." All the bladers united under one banner to combat the forces of darkness. It would mean retiring from the field of professional blading but that meant little. There'd be no title to defend if there was no world to compete in. He gazed up at the sky again. Apocalyptic-like. End of the world. "Next thing you'll be telling me Judgement Day is coming."

 _It is._

He sighed. "What next then?"

 _We learn the truth behind the Mark you bear. The ancient tribes of the world will have answers. Search far and wide, Tyson. Egypt. Greece. Rome. The classic civilizations._

"What about my friends? They have to come too."

 _This is a journey we alone must undertake together. We don't know the powers of the Mark – it would be wise to stay your distance until we know what's happening. Your friends are strong, and they will survive._

Tyson nodded. Understandable. Leaving his friends behind was tough, but Dragoon was right. He was cursed with something and he had no idea how it would all play out. "So we disappear."

 _Correct._

"Then let us start. Kai's waiting for us."


	25. Epilogue

Big thanks to the people who have read this before. Thanks to the new readers who have come across this story for the first time. And thanks to James Birdsong, unaisa memon, Linvn89 and Cutetyhil for reviewing the previous chapter. It's been one heck of a ride and I'm glad I got to share this story with you and I hope you enjoyed it. It's not perfect, but is any story?

This was a story that I actually originally started work on way back in 2012, but it just wasn't working. I took a break from Beyblade for three years and found the motivation to write the new version in 2015. This is the version you are currently looking at right but re-uploaded for your enjoyment. I always asked myself, what if there was a season 4 with the original cast set in a darker and more serious timeline? This was the result.

As for the sequel, yes, it will happen. I can't name a date yet, but I have written the first two chapters. I'm currently two thirds of the way through on a Pokemon epic high fantasy story right now and I'm scheduled to complete it sometime by April, but it's gonna take at least another month to edit it. I'm a full time uni student as well so I have to put that first. I hope to start work on the sequel again sometime in September 2019 with a goal to finish it in March 2020.

What can you look forward to? It's a dark story, but that's what I do. There'll be less beybattles and fights of a different sort. There'll be sadness, but there'll also be moments of joy. Your favourite characters will be back and plot lines not resolved will be answered.

 **.**

 **Epilogue**

Dranzer twisted and turned, navigating her way through the rock pillars, frantically trying to distance herself from the approaching shadow. Fire tornadoes pursued her, but Dranzer nimbly avoided them by travelling through twisting canyons. It was like an underground mountain valley. Sooner or later, the shadow would catch up, but he had to keep trying.

 _I can smell you. I can sense your fear._

The serpent. Kai tightened his jaw. "Show yourself. I'm not afraid."

A large worm made solely of flames jumped up from below. Dranzer made a sharp turn to the right to avoid being knocked over. Another worm leaped out. This time he saw the face. The worm lacked eyes, but he could clearly see the mouth. Dranzer flew around some more stopping to rest on a fallen pillar.

"How are you even here? I thought the horsemen were you."

 _They are my servants, nothing more. Your scientists thought they could contain me, but they were wrong. They simply… took a small part of my flesh and inserted into the things you call beyblades. Their job was simple. Start Famine. Wage War. Spread Pestilence. Cause Death._

"We stopped them."

 _But you haven't. You only brought on the end of the world with your noble efforts. The Mark Bearer has freed them. Released them into the world to carry out my bidding and now they're bound to no beyblade. They are free to do as they please. Bring on the end of humanity._

Kai frowned. Freed them? Carry out his bidding? Wait. Did that mean Tyson was acting as a servant for the Leviathan now? Was the Mark on his hand the Leviathan's way of communicating with his followers? "Tyson. You're using him as a host." The kiss of death so to speak. Tyson was clueless too. Would the corrupt him overtime? Gradually weaken him?

He heard a chuckling sound. _You're not as dumb as the rest of your species. Perhaps I will have use of you yet._

"What does the Mark do?"

 _You're curious, but I will not give you the answers you seek. If you are truly smart, you'll work it out overtime. You'll have plenty of time as well – an eternity down here with me. When Judgement Day comes, I will be released and the world will be mine then shall the beginning of the end start._

It was almost biblical. What did that mean for the rest of people on the surface? What about his friends? What would happen to the sport of beyblading they had tried so hard to protect? So many questions raced through his mind but he had little answers. Tyson was in danger. Max, Rei, Hilary and Kenny too. Worst of all they were clueless. They had no idea what was truly happening.

"Why?"

 _Why not? An odd question you ask of me. You were the one I was hoping for, Kai. I wanted you to bear the Mark originally – You have a… peculiar taste of the darkness. But Tyson has taken it upon himself. A noble sacrifice of a different kind, yes?_

"How do you know my name?" It was odd talking to the shadows. Even stranger to receive the responses in his mind, but the more knowledge he obtained now, the more he had to help the others when he was freed.

 _I've been watching you for a very long time, Kai. From the day you were born. Black Dranzer was my gift to you, and you happily took it, drawn to the darkness. You craved the power. You could handle it too. I knew one day someone like you would come along and tame Black Dranzer. You were my favourite, but Tyson claimed the top prize. The question is… Can he handle it?_

Kai didn't want to know the answer to that question. Tyson was cursed – a curse that was originally meant to be for him. In a way, the team advancing to the finals and winning had caused more problems for them all. Maybe they should've accepted all the warnings given beforehand. If they had, they wouldn't be in this situation. Winning could cost them everything.

"My friends will find a way to stop you."

 _Perhaps you are right… But most likely you are wrong. My children have been released upon the world to do as they please and there's nothing you can do to stop them. They will prey on the weak. Feed on the dying. Corrupt the innocent. Demons will claim this world, and I have you and your friends to thank. Your people thought you could control me… Make me obedient… But I used you all along._

What on earth had they done? "…We should've lost the battle…" They should've lost to the Majestics in the opening round. Their actions had damned the world all because of pride. How many people were going to lose their lives? So much for sacrificing himself to save them all. There was nothing he could do whilst he was stuck down here but hope for the best.

 _Pride leads to your ultimate downfall. The downfall of mankind. You wanted to be a hero… but instead you brought upon the destruction of your species. Somehow ironic, isn't it? You are the Destroyer. The Betrayer. And your friend? He is the Bearer of the Mark. The Curse Bearer. He will fall from grace and become everything that I am._

He even felt sympathy towards Tala and the other Demolition Boys. Even Brooklyn. Hiro. Everyone he had crossed paths with. All were going to suffer. Some would possibly even lose their lives all because of their collective weakness – hubris. "I'll find a way out of here and I will personally bring you down myself."

 _How are you going to do that, Kai? You're drawn to me._

"You're wrong."

 _I think I know you better than you know yourself… But it'll be interesting to see you try and defy me. Perhaps you'll prove your kind wrong. Maybe you will triumph over me. Maybe Tyson will find a way to overcome the curse before it claims him, but the world is still going to suffer as it should. Doomsday is coming._

 _._

So for the last time until September 2019, thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed. To help me plan for the sequel, please tell me which characters caught your attention the most? Who would you like to see more of? Were there any moments that stood out to you?


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